88. THE PROBLEM WITH CORNERSTONES

Kihrin’s story

The Mother of Trees, the Manol

Evening

“It’s all of us,” Galen said. He gestured around the room at the eight men and women who’d volunteered to step into these roles only to find out that their terms were about to be cut very short indeed.

More than eight people were in the room. Besides the Eight, their predecessors, Irisia and Mithros, were present, as well as Talon, my parents, Khaeriel and Therin, Valathea, Sheloran, and Janel. Someone had brought out a banquet service for a midnight breakfast, so that was nice.

At least the apocalypse was proving well catered.1

“Can’t we start the ritual again?” Talea said. “Take the positions away from us just like we did last time?”

Irisia sighed. “You can, but first, it’s unlikely we’ll finish before he does. We’d be starting late, not even considering you’d need to make a whole new set of Greater Talismans and none of you have enough power yet. And if you solve that problem, a new one takes its place, namely we’re running short on candidates. If you give it up now? There’s no one to take your place. Which means the concepts will just—”

“Be up for grabs,” Mithros said. “And Relos Var is the one grabbing.”

“I want to know how he found out so quickly,” Xivan said, stabbing the table. “It didn’t even take him half a day! And sure, it’s easy to guess that Teraeth would be part of this, or Senera or Thurvishar, but me? Talea? He shouldn’t have even thought of us. He should have assumed that Teraeth was going to be Death and Janel would be Destruction. He should have messed up at least one of our names.”

“He must…” Senera bit the edge of her thumb. She wore an understandably sour expression. “It could have been a spy. It could have been some kind of trick…”

“Are we certain that Drehemia doesn’t have any of the Name of All Things’s powers?” Qown asked.

A sour taste filled my mouth. No, we weren’t certain. And that wasn’t the only option.

“He might have killed her,” I said. “Taken the stone back.”

Janel glanced at me with wide eyes. “What?”

“What if the process can be reversed?” I asked. “If you can reunite a dragon with their Cornerstone, perhaps it’s possible to separate them again too. If I still had my connection, I could tell you if Drehemia has gone back to being insane, but I’m betting if you killed Drehemia and ripped out her heart—”

“Veils. You’d have the Name of All Things back,” Senera finished.

“In theory,” I said. “I don’t know how permanent death is when a dragon is killed after being united with their Cornerstone. I assumed that both dragon and Cornerstone would count as having been destroyed at the same time, but if not…”

“Oh, fuck me,” Senera said. She slumped in her chair. “He found a way to get the Cornerstone back. That’s why he was so quick to figure out the next Eight.” She laughed viciously. “Relos Var has the Name of All Things.”

“We don’t know—” Irisia started to say, but then she seemed to visibly stop herself. “No, you’re right. That’s exactly what he’s done.”

“Fantastic,” Janel murmured.

“Did you find a solution?” I asked Janel then. “Did you figure out how to exempt Jarith and yourself when you change the demon-banishing ritual?”

Janel blinked, exactly once. “I know what I need to do.”

That wasn’t a yes.

She stared at me as though daring me to call her on it. Daring me to point out that she would be going to her death when so many of us, myself included, faced the same risks. How would it change anything? At least if she was tossed into the Font of Souls along with the other demons, she’d be reborn. She’d have a next life. That was a better outcome than what would likely happen if Relos Var won.

Something ugly and frightened flickered over Teraeth’s expression as he’d noticed too.

Neither of us said anything.

“So what next?” Sheloran asked. “I assume we’re not going to just roll over and let him have this?”

“Oh, hell no,” Teraeth growled. “Now it’s war.”