Taking a few deep breaths, Jinaari let his mind catch up with the recent events. One thing Adam had been right about; he needed to sleep.
One hand rubbed at his face, digging the last remnants of sleep out of the corners of his eyes. He didn’t sit up, choosing to remain comfortably warm for a few extra minutes. The only sound he heard was the crackle and pop of the fire. Adam said he’d be gone before I woke up. Probably a good thing. I’m not sure I’m ready to hear his answer about what he was told to do when he found Thia.
Pushing the blankets aside, he got out of bed. It didn’t take long to find clean clothes in his pack and get changed. Looking at the pile of armor, he grabbed the padded undershirt. It was damp with sweat. Draping it across the back of one of the chairs, he positioned it closer to the fire. I won’t need it for a while, might as well let it dry out. The chance of a pitched battle in Helmshouse was slim. Anyone that came after them would have to get through Adam’s wards first. If they were that skilled, his armor wouldn’t save him.
He walked to the door and opened it. The room beyond was empty. “Adam?” he called out. No answer. Glancing over to the table where food had been the night before, he saw a single domed plate. He stepped closer and saw a sheet of parchment with his name on it. Picking it up, he read it quickly.
Jinaari,
I’m heading out to meet with the Solar. I can’t say when I’ll be back, as I don’t know how long Her Eminence will keep me. The deadlier elements of the room are deactivated, so you should be able to search without problems. We can discuss what each of us learned when I get back.
Including what I was told to do when I found Thia.
Adam
Putting the note down, he raised the lid off the plate. Eggs, sausage, and biscuits smothered in gravy sat waiting. His stomach growled in anticipation. Picking it up, he walked to one of the chairs and sat down to eat.
Between bites, his mind went back to the note. How many years have passed since we were sent to bring Adam out? How many times have I trusted him to have my back? His jaw clenched. Adam’s a brother of my choosing, yet he kept this secret all this time. He’s ready to explain all of it now, though. That’s something.
His mind wandered over to Thia and the newcomer Caelynn had mentioned. It was too convenient. The one thing that would get me out of Almair comes up right when Thia’s agreed to do something that will keep her there. And then this guy shows up? Frustration burned in him. It was one thing to fight a foe in front of him. He knew how to react to that kind of battle. One that involved manipulation, deceit? There were reasons why he never liked being at court.
Desperate to feel like he was doing something, he rose and went back to his room. Grabbing the piece of paper off the bedside table, he walked back into the main room and started scanning the shelves of books. Any that listed the Fallen, Lolc Aon, Byd Cudd, or Olc in the title got pulled down and placed next to the chair. Fifteen minutes later, two piles reached from the floor to the arm rest. Rubbing his hands together against the chill of the room, he breathed into them. “Damn,” he muttered, “I need to get my gloves and a blanket.”
The logs in the fireplace roared to life and a wave of warmth emanated from the flames. “Okay,” Jinaari said. “What about some paper and a pencil?”
The plate from breakfast disappeared, replaced by the items he asked for.
Settling down in the chair, he grabbed the first book and started to read.
Three chimes interrupted his thoughts. Looking up from the notes he was taking, he saw a shadow form in the far wall. It began to take shape. Jinaari put the pencil down and began to rise, looking around for something close to him he could use as a weapon if he needed to.
“It’s me,” Adam said as he solidified. “No need to throw the book.”
Jinaari sat back down, his finger marking the place where he’d stopped reading. “It was an option.” He watched his friend walk across the room and sit in the chair opposite of him. “How’d it go?”
Adam shook his head. “Her Eminence wasn’t thrilled with what I told her. But she agreed to help us. If for no other reason than to get us out of Helmshouse as soon as possible.”
“Amara’s here, then?”
“Yes, though not for the reasons you were told. The Solar said she came on her own, asking for asylum. Something about being afraid for her life if she stayed in Dragonspire.”
“Let’s go.” Jinaari began to rise, stopping as Adam held out his hand.
“Not yet. The Solar is speaking with her tonight, letting her know we’re here to take her to Almair. Tomorrow morning, we’ll be given access to her rooms. We’ll leave from there, providing Amara agrees to go.”
“Why wouldn’t she?” Jinaari asked.
Adam shrugged. “I don’t know, but Her Eminence insisted that it is Amara’s choice to make. You can’t force her to go any more than your mother could’ve made her to stay in Dragonspire.” He nodded toward the pile of books. “Learn anything helpful?”
Jinaari shook his head. “Not much. Thahion means ‘Unchained,’ or something close to that, in Olc.”
“According to Caelynn, Kasmin said they felt liberated from Lolc Aon once she was dead. Maybe that’s why they went with it? They’re free of the chains that bound them to the Goddess?”
“It’s possible. I couldn’t find any family name that matched the one you wrote down, or any other meaning for the word. I know you’ve got a lot of books here. Either I missed something, or what we need isn’t in your library.”
“That’s odd.”
“Which part?”
“About the family name. The Fallen were obsessive about that. Tracing your lineage back to Lolc Aon herself, or one of her favored priestesses, was a badge of honor. All children took their mother’s name, or the name of the house they belonged to, when they reached adulthood. If there’s no listing for I’chal, it’s likely fake. Or they renamed themselves, like the society did.”
Jinaari nodded. “I’m inclined to believe the name’s not legitimate.”
“Based on what reason? I don’t like how this guy showed up as soon as we left either, but we can’t jump to conclusions.”
He began to count on his fingers as he spoke. “One, the name doesn’t exist in the history. I can understand wanting to distance yourself from family, but changing your name completely? No one does that unless they want to hide who they were before. Two, the timing. He shows up the day we left. It’s too convenient. Three, he’s exactly the one who can tell Thia everything she thinks she needs to know about what’s been going on in Byd Cudd. Thia wouldn’t want to meet this delegation without knowing something of what to expect, which means she would’ve been looking for a way to learn. But there’s no way to confirm his story. He could be nothing more than a spy, sent to infiltrate court before the delegation arrives. A person designed to try and gain Thia’s trust.”
Adam chuckled. “We both know that last one won’t happen quickly. Certainly not before we get back.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jinaari said, shaking his head. “That he’s there, trying, is the goal. Even if she doesn’t trust him, he’ll influence how she sees the delegation when it arrives. If he can get her to lose her fear, make her let her guard down even a little, it could be enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“That’s the part I don’t know.” He looked at Adam. “Did the Solar tell you anything else?”
“She chided me for not keeping her informed. I hadn’t sent her an update since we lost Flink and Kathra left us.”
“I want to know everything you were told before you and I met. All of it.”
Adam nodded. “I knew you would. You heard most of it last night, and I’d rather not repeat myself.”
“You can skip that stuff if you want.”
“Like I said, I didn’t know particulars. Neither did The Solar. Having a God or Goddess Mark someone, though, is a warning to us. It means there’s about to be a shift in the world, one that we can’t ignore.
“The existence of Helmshouse depends on the warlocks being separate from the world. Our lives sustain it as much as it does us. Having a Daughter or Son roaming the world . . . Jinaari, they wield so much magic that every single tower would fall between them taking breaths if they came here and wanted to destroy us. My job was to find this person, assess them. Make sure they had the moral character that would at least maintain the balance in the world, if not swing it to something positive. If Thia was Marked by Lolc Aon instead of Keroys…” his voice trailed off, and Jinaari watched his friend shudder.
“What would you have done if she had been? I need to know, Adam. So does Thia when we get back to Almair.” That last point was important. There was no way he would keep this from her. “If she finds out from someone besides you, it’ll shatter that trust she has in you. And it will come out. You know that. So, tell me so I can back you up when you tell her.”
“I was to assess his or her moral compass. If I was certain the Mark wasn’t from a deity bent on domination and conquest, I was to help them. Guide them on whatever quest they needed to complete.”
“And if they weren’t?”
Jinaari locked his eyes on Adam’s and saw the hesitation in them. “If that was the case,” he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, “I was to either neutralize the threat, or bring them here so the Solar could.” He picked at something on his pants. “In order to do that, I had to intercept them before they unlocked their power. That’s why she connected me with Garret’s Paladins. The Solar knew that was the best way to find them in time. And, given the vows your Order is required to take, we knew you’d take steps as well. Even if you didn’t know why I was there.”
“You were going to kill her?” He shook his head in disbelief. “All these years, fighting next to me, and you never trusted me enough to tell me this?”
“Why did you think I was always so methodical at checking bodies after we killed something? I’m not a Death Mage, Jinaari. I was looking for Marks, hoping we’d found the person by accident. I watched Kathra, wondering if it was her, but nothing she cast indicated she had magic stores that surpassed the rest of us. I started to enjoy life beyond my tower and put my mission out of my mind. When you showed up with Thia and she laid waste to the entire graveyard without thought, that’s when I realized it could be her.” He looked away, then back at Jinaari. “I didn’t miss the signs of the spider nest. I took us in there to test her. If she was Marked by Lolc Aon and not Keroys, they never would’ve come after her. When they did, I knew she wasn’t evil. That I wouldn’t need to kill her. Or let the Solar do it. By the time I knew whose Mark she bore, she was family, same as you. I’d die before I let anyone hurt her. You know that.”
He paused. “As to why I didn’t tell you, that’s easier to answer. I didn’t tell you because I swore an oath to not say a word of this to anyone until I found the Daughter or Son and knew what my next move would be. It was as binding as the one you gave Garret. I’ve never questioned that about you, and believed you’d give me the same respect. We barely had time to breathe between the spider attack, the scorpion pit, and you disappearing. When you came back, it seemed redundant. I knew I would support her, no matter the danger.”
Jinaari tried to push aside the anger, but some remained. “There was time, Adam. On the beach, when she was asleep. On the ship heading back to Almair before we went down to Byd Cudd.” He kept his voice even but watched his friend’s face closely.
“I know. But why tell you when I knew nothing would change? I wasn’t going to hurt her. I was going to protect her, help her unlock her power.” He tilted his head slightly. “Is that really any different than the reasons why you didn’t tell her she was Marked before the first fight with Drogon? Or that protecting her was about more than having two Gods tell you to do it?”
The last remnants of anger left him. He was right. Jinaari hadn’t said things to Thia for similar reasons. And I wondered why she was so upset when she found out. “No more secrets. I can’t afford to not trust you.”
“Nor I to not trust you,” Adam replied. “You’re right, I do need to come clean with Thia. Not until we get back, though. I want to have that conversation face to face. She deserves the chance to yell at me in person.”
Jinaari chuckled. “She probably will. Caelynn may join in as well. Unless she’s known this whole time?”
The blonde man shook his head. “No. It’s not something we’ve ever talked about.”
“I want to keep the conversation tonight light, Adam,” Jinaari scratched at his beard as he spoke. “Let’s not worry them if we can help it. Tell them we know Amara’s here and will see her tomorrow. If they know we’re coming back early, that should calm Thia down. I’m concerned about Kasmin, though. Do you think you’ll be able to get anything new about him from Caelynn?”
“Only one way to find out. Let’s eat, then I’ll activate the crystal. From then, we wait for her to answer.”
“Why not start it now?”
“Because, my friend, I’d rather not have to answer in the middle of my dinner. Her Eminence questioned me at length. To the point that I haven’t eaten for several hours. I’m starving.” Adam rose from the chair, walking past him.
Turning in his seat, Jinaari watched him head to the table. Two steaming bowls had appeared on it. Adam placed a spoon in each one, then picked them both up. “It’s one of my favorites. It’s not nearly as good as Elian’s, but it’s close.”
He took the bowl that Adam offered. He was right; it wasn’t exactly Elian’s stew, but damn close. “One more question,” he said between mouthfuls.
“What?” The warlock put his bowl down.
“If you thought she’d been Marked by Lolc Aon, would you have told me? Or just killed her when we slept?”
Adam shook his head. “I really don’t know. After I saw her potential, my next step was to figure out who Marked her. When I saw the spider nest, I knew that would answer the question. If that had gone differently . . ..” he paused, taking a deep breath, and releasing it slowly, “I may have killed her in the process of eradicating the nest.”
“I did wonder about that,” Jinaari said. “I know your strength. It was early in the day; you hadn’t done any magic. You could’ve made the entire building go up in flames without breaking a sweat.”
“Only I knew Thia wasn’t Lolc Aon’s Daughter. She was also terrified. I chose to get her to safety instead of flexing my muscles.”
Jinaari ignored the jab. “I’m done,” he said, putting his bowl down. Picking up the paper and pencil, he looked at Adam. “Where do I need to go? I won’t get in your way, but I have to be close enough to write things down if she can’t hear me.”
Adam rose, pointing to the other side of the room. “I’ll be at that desk. Bring over your chair and stay at one corner. Whatever you do, don’t touch anything I’m handling. Or get out of the chair, bang your fist on the table, or try and break things.”
“I don’t do that without reason,” he said. Standing up, he dropped the pencil and paper onto the seat before he lifted his chair off the ground and carried it to where Adam pointed. On the top of the plain wood desk was an ornately carved box. “What’s in there?” he asked, putting the chair down.
“Half of what I need. You might as well grab some of your books, this may take a while.”
Jinaari walked back over, picking up two books he hadn’t looked at yet. “I doubt there’s anything in these, but it’s worth a check,” he said as he sat back down.
Adam removed his cloak and placed it on a hook by the door. “What are they about?”
Checking the spines, he read aloud, “Illusion and the Fallen and Lolc Aon’s Fall.”
“You’re probably right. Not sure there’s much in either that will help figure out who this person is.” Adam sat in a chair in front of the box, lifting the lid. Resting on bed of dark blue satin was a green gem. A fracture ran along one edge, making it appear that it had been broken in two.
“Where’s the other half?”
Adam smiled. “In Caelynn’s room, back at The Green Frog.”
Settling into his seat, Jinaari focused on the gem. “That’s going to be helpful on the way back.”
“It can’t leave this room. The half that Caelynn has won’t work unless I initiate the contact. And I can’t do that unless I’m here, in my arcanium, to feed it.” He sat down at the desk. Pulling a white cloth out of a drawer, he laid it out in front of the box. Smoothing out the fabric, he continued, “Creating something like this takes more than magic, Jinaari. It requires regular care or it goes dark. Given how long I’ve been away, the reactivation wasn’t easy last night.” Adam looked at him intently. “Until I tell you it’s okay to speak, or I’ve closed the lid, you must remain silent. You can question me all you like when we’re done. This is hard enough without you second guessing what I’m doing. Oh,” he smiled slightly, “and I want you to promise we won’t tell Thia or Caelynn about how this works.”
“Afraid they’ll try to replicate it?”
“Caelynn won’t. She knows better than to try. Thia, however . . . I think you’ll understand once you see what it takes.” He rolled the sleeve of his tunic up past his elbow. Jinaari noticed a large red welt on the inside of his bicep. “Now, work on that vow of silence.”
“I didn’t take one.”
“Until I tell you differently, or that box is shut, pretend you did.” Leaning forward, he rested his forearm on the white cloth. With his other hand, he picked up the emerald and placed it against the welt. Adam winced as the gem attached itself to his skin, burrowing into him enough that a trickle of blood began to drip onto the white cloth. He closed his eyes and Jinaari watched his friend regain control of his breathing as pain danced across his face. “Caelynn, it’s Adam. Answer when you can.”
His eyes shot open, and Jinaari drew back from the intensity he saw in them. “Now, we wait.” Adam whispered.
Jinaari leaned back in his chair. I hope she answers soon, for his sake. Picking up one of the books, he began to read.
“Adam?”
Caelynn’s voice was soft, but loud enough that Jinaari’s head snapped up from the book. He glanced at Adam’s arm. The gem pulsed with each breath he took, but the bleeding had stopped. His friend’s face was relaxed. “Hey. Jinaari’s right here, listening in. I’m going to have him say hello. Let me know if you hear him.” Adam nodded at him.
“Hey,” he said.
Seconds passed, and then she responded. “Okay, let me know when he tries.”
Shaking his head, Adam said, “He already did. I wasn’t sure it would work. He’s got a way to hand me notes if there’s questions or instructions for you.”
“Okay. Did you guys find his sister?”
“Yes. We’ll see her tomorrow. We should be on the road back to Almair soon. Were you able to convince Thia to stay put today?”
“No,” she hesitated, and Jinaari heard her draw a breath. “She insisted on meeting Kasmin again but worked out a plan with Lukas. He interrupted the meeting after an hour or so, citing some sort of emergency at the chapterhouse. I was with her the whole time, though. So was one of the other paladins.”
Jinaari scribbled a note and passed it over to Adam. The blonde man nodded, then asked, “Did you learn anything useful in the meeting?”
“He’s an illusionist, Adam. Almost as good as you, to be honest. He formed a miniature version of Byd Cudd out of nothing. Explained how each of the current ruling council was an elected representative of different jobs within the city. There was a huge black spot on the map that Thia asked about. It’s where we killed Lolc Aon. Once the infighting was over, they herded the loyalists into what was left of the chamber and burned it with nightfire. There’s nothing left but a pit of ash. She, um, didn’t take it well.”
“What happened?”
“Thia was, well, Thia. As good as she’s getting, I could still see the guilt on her face. She blames herself for the deaths that happened after we left. She didn’t anticipate what would come next.”
Shoving another note at Adam, Jinaari forced himself to stay seated. He knew what might happen and should’ve prepared her for it. “Where’s Thia now? Is she okay?”
“She’s asleep. I made her go shopping when we left the chapterhouse, but she said she had a headache and wanted to lie down so we came back. I was going to check on her before I went down to play tonight.”
No more meetings! Jinaari scribbled the words and slid them across the table at Adam. “Jinaari doesn’t want her meeting with him again, and I agree. We’re way ahead of schedule here and will be back soon. Tell her when she wakes up. It might make her feel better.”
“I’m not sure we can keep her from meeting him, but I’ll try. She called Lukas a bully this morning, and he swore he’d put her under house arrest if he had to. She didn’t like that but knowing you’re coming back will help.”
“I won’t be able to contact you like this again,” Adam said. “As soon as we get Amara tomorrow, we’re leaving Helmshouse. I can’t bring this with me.”
Caelynn sighed. “I understand. I’ll do what I can to keep her in the inn.”
The gem stopped pulsating and fell off his arm. Using his other hand, Adam placed it back in the box and closed the lid. Methodically, he began to wrap the bloodstained cloth around the open wound. “Something’s wrong.”
“Why do you say that?” Jinaari asked.
“The only people I know who can cast illusions as detailed as what she described have been trained here, at least for a short time. In Byd Cudd, they were prized. Celebrated, even. I’m certain this Kasmin I’chal isn’t who he says he is. Because the name would’ve been recorded, either in our records, or theirs.” Jinaari rose as Adam did. “First thing tomorrow,” he said, rolling his tunic sleeve back down over his arm, “we pack up. Even if Amara stays, we have to leave. Thia’s dealing with someone who can make water look so solid she’d walk across it without knowing she’s drowning. Do you really want her to do that without us?”
“I’ll be ready.” Jinaari walked to his room, closing the door behind him. Ice cold fingers ran down his spine. “Damn it, Amara. You’d better be ready to leave, too,” he whispered.
* * *
Caelynn watched the gem grow dark, signaling the end of the connection with Adam. She closed the lid on the box, then sat down on her bed. Cradling her head in her hands, she thought, Damn you, Thia. I’ve never lied to Adam like that before! She took some deep breaths and gathered herself, then headed back down to the common room.
Lukas had pushed several tables together. Spread out across the surface was a detailed map of the city and surrounding areas. He and several other paladins stood over it. Glancing up, he caught sight of her. “Did they believe you?”
Nodding, she skipped down the last few steps and went over to the table. “I think so. Adam said they’ve confirmed Amara is there and were meeting with her tomorrow. He thinks they’ll be heading back here shortly after that.”
Lukas nodded his head. “Then we work fast.” Glancing around at the other paladins, he said, “You each have your sectors. Take your brothers, initiates, even the newest pledges. I want every single man out there looking for her, understand?”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison before marching out the inn door.
“We’ll find her, Caelynn.”
She stared at him. “We have to. Telling Jinaari that Thia’s gone missing is not something I want to do.”