by Kyle West
Lucian reached for his Focus to insulate himself from her effect. His emotions were cloistered, at least for the moment, allowing him to think more clearly. And to his surprise – he could feel his ether. He tried not to betray the shock on his face. If he so wished, he could stream at her and break out of this.
But he knew such a notion was foolish. Not with her right there and dozens of Mage-Knights at her beck and call, and his friends taken belowdecks to some unknown place.
At that moment, he felt his manacles loosened, and they clanked onto the deck below. He blinked in surprise.
“I hope you weren’t treated too roughly,” she began. “I instructed Kiani to bring you and your companions to me unharmed. What we have to discuss is far too important to leave anything to chance. I hope you will forgive me that.”
To Lucian’s surprise, he did want to forgive her while the sincerity in her soft eyes made him want to instantly agree with anything she said. But he couldn’t do that. He had to find his wits and meet her head on. His friends’ lives were at stake, and so was the fate of the Orb of Binding.
He cleared his throat. “I’m wondering what you want with me. And to be honest, I expected you to look . . . different.”
“Is that so? Well, this is me, body and mind. I’ve discovered how to do things with magic that most mages would deem impossible. I’ve had fifty years to practice, after all.”
“Is this some illusion designed to trick me?”
“Trick you?” She laughed. “No. This is really me.” She extended a hand. “You can touch me, if you wish, and see for yourself. Or, you could ward yourself so you know I’m not tampering with your mind. I promise I’m not doing so, even now. But I understand if you want to for your peace of mind.”
Lucian hastily shook his head. “Err . . . no. I’ll take your word for it.”
She nodded graciously. “Very well. Suffice it to say, this body is mine. Yes, I’m nearly a century old, Lucian, and yet I have used magic to stay young. I must be young, for there is much I have yet to accomplish in the Worlds. Indeed, my designs are only beginning.”
From the way her eyes focused on him, Lucian knew those designs included him.
He streamed a Psionic ward around himself. Her appearance remained the same, only proving she was telling the truth. Her violet eyes remained rooted to his, as if she were already familiar with him.
“Nothing to say?” Her voice seemed somewhat disappointed. “This moment, so pivotal in my dreams . . . and now you stand before me. Exhausted, dirty, and defeated.”
Her silence afterward was brutal and cold. Lucian knew she expected him to defend himself, even to defy her.
He could never give her that. He had to somehow divorce himself from his feelings. His friends were depending on him.
“I apologize if I’m not the hero you were expecting. Probably because I’m not.”
When she turned, her eyes were angry at first. But then, she smiled, as if Lucian had told a joke.
“You underestimate yourself, Lucian. The raw material is there. But it will take a delicate and practiced touch to refine that into something magnificent. Even without refinement, you managed to find the Sapphire of Starsea.” She watched him a moment for a reaction. “Do you really not see it? Why do you think the Manifold has brought you to Psyche, Lucian? Has brought you to me?”
The Manifold? That didn’t bring him to Psyche. The Transcends were responsible for that. He knew he had to answer her, because there was nothing more dangerous than a woman who was ignored or stonewalled. There wasn’t only his life to consider.
“I was expelled from the Volsung Academy,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”
“Wrong,” she said. “You are the Chosen of the Manifold, Lucian. You are the one fated to bring the Orbs together. You are the one Arian prophesied to save magic and magekind from annihilation at the hands of the Starsea Cycle.” She gave a small shrug. “Or not. There is nothing in that prophecy that guarantees your success. That is why we must begin our work at once to ensure your survival.”
“You have the wrong man,” he said. “I’m not the only one with an Orb, after all.”
She watched him closely, as if trying to guess what he knew. And Lucian realized he’d slipped up. As far as he knew, she didn’t know that at least one other Orb had been found. But it was clear from her lack of surprise that this wasn’t news to her.
“My own prophecies point to you being the Chosen, whatever Orbs have or haven’t been uncovered. Do you not hear whispers in the dark, Lucian?”
At once, he was reminded of the strange voice. That voice hadn’t spoken to him for months. But that voice had told him to find the Orbs, and to bring them to him. He had almost driven it completely from his memory.
“How do you know about that?”
“I know as much as you do. And more.”
His heart started beating faster. “Then who is that voice?”
“You know who it is.”
Lucian thought back to his conversation with the Oracle of Binding. She had mentioned that when the Immortal was defeated, he had somehow joined the Manifold. He wasn’t sure exactly how that worked, but the implications were terrifying.
“The Voice of the Manifold itself is calling to you. It is evidence that you are indeed the Chosen. For it is the Manifold that wants to bring the Orbs together. Such is the natural balance of things. You are the agent to make that happen. It has chosen you.”
“But Arian’s prophecy only talked about the Orbs,” Lucian said. “He didn’t say there would be any Chosen to bring them together.”
“You speak in ignorance. No one has deciphered the totality of Arian’s Prophecy of the Seven. All we have are bits and pieces, as each mage who can read it is only allowed to see a small part of the overall masterwork. The part the Manifold wishes to reveal.”
Lucian thought back to that night long ago on Volsung when he had read the mad ramblings of that text. All of it had been indecipherable, aside from the one bit that mentioned the Orbs. If there was anything about a “Chosen of the Manifold,” then it would have to be from another passage. As much as he hated it, he might have to trust the Queen on that one. At least for now.
“Long story short,” the Sorceress-Queen said, “we must work together to find out how to find the rest of the Orbs. And to piece together whatever fragments of The Prophecy of the Seven that we can.”
“Does The Prophecy of the Seven reveal the locations of the Orbs?”
“Yes. Where do you think Shantozar’s line comes from?
* * *
“Under the White World with red-whorl eye,
Upon a moon of violet, violent sky;
Peers beneath Burning Sands and wind,
Lies the Amethyst of Starsea within.”
* * *
“Elder Jalisa said as much,” Lucian said, without thinking.
“Jalisa.” The Sorceress-Queen gave a short laugh. “I exiled her from the borders of Dara. We had something of a . . . disagreement.”
“What disagreement?” Lucian asked.
“It was long ago.” She seemed ready to move on to more important matters. “Most days, I pore over the lines of Arian’s work for additional clues, but so far, my efforts have been fruitless. And of course, I have spoken with the Oracle, whose spirit abides in the Burning Sands. From him, I had the revelation that the Chosen of the Manifold would come to Psyche and point the way to the Orb of Psionics. That he would bear one of the Seven Jewels of Starsea.” Her eyes became focused and beady. “I have never felt such raw power, Lucian. Such a void you created in the ethereal background. It was as if all ether disappeared from a single spot. I have . . . never experienced that before. It was quickly refilled, but for a few seconds, it was as if the foundations of the Manifold itself were shaken.”
Lucian tried to ignore the hunger in her eyes. “That wasn’t me, but the Orb.”
“It was both,” the Queen said. “Your Focus is strong, but not just a
nyone can control the stream of an Orb.” Her face became sorrowful. “Alas, the Orb of Binding will not work for you forever. It will only obey one powerful enough to wield it.” She watched him with a neutral expression. “And you are most certainly not that yet.”
Lucian didn’t see any point to denying it. It seemed she already knew everything he knew, and more. Even the Oracle had said wielding the Orb of Binding would require competence, that it respected power and the wielder’s heart. Lucian was failing on one of those two counts, and perhaps even both.
“The solution isn’t what you think,” the Queen went on. “That I take your Orb. If it were that easy, I would have done so already. The solution is for you to become stronger. That is how I can help.”
Lucian couldn’t help but be curious. “How?”
“I have delved the Manifold itself,” the Queen said. “It’s dangerous, but it only kills those who are weak, those who are not devoted to their cause. I am so devoted that I am willing to lay down my power, my crown, my very flesh to help you, Lucian. I’ve learned much from the Manifold. I can teach you to use the Orbs effectively. Following me is the right path because the Orb wants you to work with me.”
How could that be true? “I can handle the Orb fine. I don’t need your help.”
But it seemed the Queen sensed his weakness, his doubt. “Don’t you? You know that’s not true, so let’s not deceive ourselves. The Orb has been testing you. And you have been failing. You are using the Orb like a hammer, like an ace up your sleeve to get out of any trouble you land yourself in. The Orb sees this as a flagrant abuse of its spirit and abilities. It does not exist to serve you, Lucian. It has a higher purpose. And unless you are working toward that purpose with tangible results, it will betray you. And as a last resort, it will even allow you to die to pass on to one who is more capable. Perhaps then you will not be as Chosen as you think you are.”
“What are you talking about?”
“One who is Chosen, can be un-Chosen. There’s nothing magical that says it has to be you. You have a destiny, Lucian. This isn’t about you anymore, what you want or need. Just as my empire and my wants and needs pale in comparison to necessity. That necessity is that we work together, for the good of magekind.”
Lucian was quiet as he considered her words. He never dreamed he might agree with her, but everything she’d said made a strange sort of sense. He didn’t delude himself that she was a good person. But a good Queen and a good person were not necessarily the same thing.
“It’s a lot.”
“I understand,” she said. “But we are on the same side. I would never ask you to give up what one of the great Oracles of Starsea deigned to give you. That is an honor not even bestowed on me. You are a de facto Vigilant of Starsea, a holder of one of the Orbs. Were we in those days, billions would now be under your command, with sycophants, advisors, and armadas sworn to your name. You would have honors, riches, and titles beyond your wildest imaginings.” Her eyes shone brightly, as if those hypothetical things were actually real. “Even if you don’t see yourself as such, you are a Vigilant. And you will become an even more powerful one once you add the Orb of Psionics to your retinue. But you will never reach those lofty heights without my help. Do you really think I would be speaking to you as an equal if this were not so?”
His mind was reeling. “What are you getting at?”
“You need a mentor, Lucian. Someone who can hold her own. You are young, yes, but you will learn. And you will find no better teacher than me. I will be loyal, dedicated, and teach you magic more effectively than any mage in the galaxy.” To his surprise, she reached out and cradled one of his dirty, roughened hands in her two own. “And I wish to learn about you more . . . personally. We will have time enough to spend together during the journey to the Golden Palace and the Burning Sands. We need to get to know each other on an equal footing. Learn to trust one another. For trust must be the foundation of what we are trying to achieve.”
He took his hand away. Was she serious? Rotting hell.
“I’m not sure where you get the idea that I’d go along with this. You’re holding my friends captive.”
“Just a few days among the Rifters, and you’re starting to believe you are one of them. No wonder you are against me so. As far as your friends, I was hoping you would speak to them. If you can guarantee they won’t cause any trouble, they can walk free. Either to stay at your side or go their own separate ways.”
Would they ever leave him? Cleon might. He hated the Sorceress-Queen, as well as Mage-Lord Kiani. Cleon would never accept Lucian working with her. And Serah most likely wouldn’t, either. Fergus himself hated the Queen, but he was so fiercely loyal to the Elders of Kiro he might stay long enough to try and convince Lucian to use the Orb of Psionics against the Sorceress-Queen.
But if what the Queen said was true, that she could teach him how to use the Orbs, then he needed her. And it wasn’t likely he was going to find all of them without learning how to use them.
“I didn’t expect you to become convinced immediately,” the Queen said. “But you will soon learn this is the most . . . prudent course. According to Arian’s prophecy, you will uncover the Orb of Psionics. I will teach you how to use it, along with the one you already possess. I am dedicated, as you are, to ending the fraying and the Starsea Cycle.”
“And then establishing your new order, where the mages are on top.”
She gave a small smile. “It cannot be any other way. The League showed what it honestly thought of the mages during the Mage War. They see us as tools to be controlled, nothing more or less. But end the fraying, and the mages can take their rightful place as the leaders of the human race. Starsea shall be reforged anew, without the Starsea Cycle to hold us back.”
“I don’t understand. Why not just kill me and take the Orb of Binding for yourself? You said earlier that the Chosen can change.”
“It can, but I have no power over that change. The Manifold does. But suffice it to say, if ever the Manifold did change course – which I don’t believe likely, especially if you listen to me rather than go your own way – then I will do what I deem necessary. You should expect nothing less from me.”
“So you are loyal to a vision. Not an individual person.”
She watched him, her expression placid. “If you want to think of it as such. But that’s as it should be.”
“If I am the Chosen, then could I not order you about?”
“You could try, but I would just laugh. You are not ready for that. You are weak and ineffectual. All raw material, no finished product. And despite you being the Chosen, there are foolish ones who would see your Orb and want it for themselves if they were to ever discover you had it. Only I know what you have, Lucian. You are not ready to reveal yourself yet. For the minute you do, you will become a target. The knowledge of the Orbs was one of the major factors leading to the Mage War. Xara Mallis and Vera Desai both set out to find their own Orbs, presumably each with fragments of Arian’s prophecy deciphered, or perhaps their own gleanings from the Manifold.”
“Xara Mallis is dead,” Lucian said. “Vera, though . . .”
Lucian cut himself off, realizing that he had revealed another pertinent fact. But the Queen didn’t seem surprised at the revelation.
“Yes, I suspected she was still around. Troublesome woman.”
“You knew her during the war?”
The Queen nodded. “I did. Vera was Xara’s chief advisor. Xara was also Vera’s Psion, until Xara rose to lead the Free Mages.”
“Vera had the same idea as you. She wanted to train me, but I refused.”
“That certainly would have set you down a different path. But I do not trust Vera. I never did. There is a darkness in her you should be wary of.”
Lucian found that rich, but chose not to comment.
“I know you don’t understand why I say that. And I know I’ve done some bad things myself. And I continue to do so with every breath I draw as the Sorceres
s-Queen of Psyche. But all of this has been for a higher purpose. Together, we can save magekind. Without me, you will flounder and fail. That is a guarantee. And the consequences of that are far too great for us to waste time feeling each other out.” She walked toward the window and heaved a frustrated sigh. “What is taking them so long? We haven’t moved a centimeter.”
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
“Enter,” the Queen said, her voice icy.
Mage-Lord Kiani stepped inside, his manner timid and meek. It was strange to see a man of his strength and stature behaving that way.
“What is it?” she snapped. “Why haven’t we lifted off?”
“It’s the Binders,” he said. “They are exhausted.”
“Then have them overdraw. We must be back in the Golden Palace within the week.”
Mage-Lord Kiani’s eyes widened a bit at that, but he nodded. “Of course, your Majesty. It shall be as you say. But these Binders are among the best in the Empire, and it would be a shame to—”
“Did I stutter, Mage-Lord? See that my orders are carried out.”
Kiani swallowed, his face paling. “Of course, your Majesty.” He withdrew and closed the door behind him.
Once they were alone again, the Sorceress-Queen faced him. “Do you wish to find the Orb of Psionics, Lucian?”
Lucian couldn’t deny that he did. “Of course.”
“And would you like to learn to control these Orbs, and not have them betray you?”
At this, Lucian remained silent. But the Queen’s gaze bored into him, to the point where he couldn’t deny her an answer.
“It would be nice.”
“Then work with me, at least a little bit. What say you?”
“I will consider it, as soon as you let my friends go.”
“It will be done. But first, we must take to the air.” She gave a cunning smile. “And as one who holds the Orb of Binding, it will be the perfect opportunity for you to learn.”
