Master of restless shado.., p.64
Master of Restless Shadows Book Two, page 64
part #2 of Master of Restless Shadows Series
“It can’t be,” Fedeles whispered.
The eagle swept over the river in two beats of its vast wings and angled straight for the sacred grove. Elezar called his Irabiim archers to attention. They notched arrows to their bows and drew the strings.
“No!” Fedeles roared the command as he pelted down to the street. “Hold your arrows!”
Elezar glanced once to Fedeles, then seconded the command. The archers lowered their bows. However, as the eagle dived toward them, Elezar drew his sword, readying to defend against an attack.
The eagle extended its long legs, unfurling huge black talons. As if of one mind, Atreau and Narsi both stepped under the cover of a wisteria tree.
Fedeles dashed ahead.
An instant before it struck the ground, the eagle’s whole body stretched and shifted. Feathers and wings melted away to reveal a man’s face and body. His broad chest was bare and marked with faded scars. Dark trousers clung to his long, graceful legs. He touched the ground, then dropped to kneel before Fedeles.
Likely it said something about the week he’d experienced that Atreau was far more startled to see Ariz alive than to witness his transformation from the body of an eagle.
Ariz caught Fedeles’s hands and bowed his head, kissing his fingers. Fedeles shook his head and grasped Ariz, pulling him up into a fierce embrace. Even from a distance, Atreau could see Fedeles’s shoulders shake as he enfolded Ariz in his arms and wept against the side of his head.
Elezar and his troops looked on in silence. More than a few of the soldiers studied Ariz with uncertainty. Fedeles leaned his face very close against Ariz’s. He said something, but his voice was so low and soft that the only words Atreau caught were “I’m so sorry. So sorry . . .”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You released me from Hierro’s thrall.” Ariz stroked Fedeles’s back. “You saved me.”
Fedeles lifted his head and Ariz wiped the tears from his face.
“You saved me,” Ariz repeated. And then he smiled. The broad, open expression Ariz offered Fedeles lent him a rugged handsomeness. Prior to this Atreau’d had no idea that Ariz was capable of smiling at all, much less with so much warmth and charm.
“How is it possible that his smile shocks me more than the fact that he flew here on eagle’s wings? Atreau murmured to Narsi, who gave a brief snort of laughter.
“I’m relieved to see Master Ariz alive as well, but . . .” Narsi trailed off and Atreau nodded his understanding. If he wasn’t dead, then Ariz might still be enthralled. If not to Hierro, then to Clara. However, Fedeles had been so certain of Ariz’s death and the conversation between them just now made Atreau suspect Fedeles might have even played some role in his demise.
Whatever the truth was, Ariz had clearly just come from the Shard of Heaven. If there was a chance of them gleaning information from him before they attempted to break in to the place, they had to try.
Atreau strode down to join Fedeles and Ariz. Narsi walked alongside him.
Ariz noticed them first and pulled out of Fedeles’s embrace, though he continued to hold one of his hands.
“Atreau, Master Narsi,” Ariz greeted them. “I’m afraid that I didn’t have a chance to take the medicine you prepared for me. The vial was broken before I could.”
“It seems just as well that you didn’t,” Narsi replied.
“But how exactly is your condition now?” Atreau narrowed his eyes, studying Ariz, and then noticed that his neck and ears were spattered with dried blood, as was his hair. Looking just a little more closely, it became apparent that his trousers too had been all but soaked in blood at some point. He’d clearly washed his face and hands and simply removed his shirt—but the evidence of a slaughter still clung to him.
“I’m no longer enthralled,” Ariz stated. “Hierro meant to use me to kill King Sevanyo, but my heart was stopped before that could happen. After that, the Brand of Obedience lost its hold over me.”
“So you were revived?” Narsi asked. “Was it by the Yuanese Heart Waking method?”
“No.” Ariz shook his head and looked to Fedeles. “The Master of the Sorrowlands sent me back to stand at Fedeles’s side. I was returned to life for his sake.”
Master of the Sorrowlands? Javier. It had to be. A look of understanding showed on Fedeles’s face as well.
“After I revived, I saw Elenna abducting Marisol, and so I gave chase. They led me to the Shard of Heaven, where Clara was awaiting. Hierro came after, intent on killing Marisol, because he and Clara both believed that she was Sparanzo.” Ariz paused, his gaze flickering down to the traces of bloodstains that lined his knuckles. Then he went on. “At that point I killed Hierro. Unfortunately, that freed Clara from the thrall he’d held over her. She in turn destroyed the Hallowed Kings and released the Shroud of Stone.”
After his previous conversations with Ariz wherein he had to navigate weird and convoluted narratives just to convey the slightest bit of information, Atreau found Ariz’s clear explanations a pleasant surprise. Freed from Hierro’s thrall, it turned out Ariz was direct and concise.
“Were you hurt?” Fedeles frowned down at Ariz’s bloodstained hands with open tenderness.
A slight flush colored Ariz’s face. He shook his head.
“How did you escape the Shard of Heaven after that?” Narsi asked.
“I didn’t escape. Clara released me to deliver her ransom demands to the duke and duchess.” Ariz turned his attention to Fedeles. “I didn’t secure the Summer Doe’s relic for her, so she dispatched Yago. When his men arrived, they discovered your agents in the Slate House, but they failed to capture your agents or the relic. After that, Clara panicked and urged Hierro to move his plans ahead before you or Lady Oasia could use the horns to free the demonic armies that Our Savior had confined in stone.”
“That’s not what the horns do,” Narsi broke in, but then he frowned and glanced to Atreau. “I mean, if the Shroud of Stone is completely destroyed, then of course a few of the surviving Old Gods and spirits could be freed, but—”
“The demons were killed long ago while they were trapped in stone,” Fedeles answered almost offhandedly. His attention remained on Ariz. “What does Clara want then?”
“She’s demanding the relic in exchanged for Sparanzo’s life,” Ariz stated.
“But she doesn’t have Sparanzo, does she?” Atreau had seen Delfia escorting the boy away to safety with his own eyes less than an hour ago.
“No, Elenna delivered Marisol in Sparanzo’s place,” Ariz said. Atreau was so used to Ariz betraying no emotion in his expression and voice that the edge of sorrow he gave away now was striking. He cared deeply about his niece. It discomfited Atreau to keep looking at him.
“I won’t allow her to harm Marisol, I swear,” Fedeles whispered to him.
“Neither you nor Oasia are in possession of Yah-muur’s horn, so what are you going to do?” Atreau demanded of Fedeles. No matter how sweet Marisol was, or how much she was loved, saving her couldn’t come at the risk of countless other children’s and adults’ lives. On top of that, Narsi was tied to Yah-muur’s horn now. Atreau wouldn’t allow anyone to hand Narsi over to Clara Odalis.
Fedeles frowned at him and Atreau scowled right back.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Fedeles said. “But I won’t just abandon her. There has to be a—”
“We can not risk Clara gaining control of the horn. No matter what,” Atreau stated.
Narsi glanced between them with a concerned expression and Atreau feared that his physician’s heart was softening.
“I hate to interrupt,” Narsi broke in, but his gaze moved to Ariz. “But I’m curious. If you are no longer enthralled, why would Clara send you to deliver her demands? She must know that you will tell us everything you can about her position.”
Atreau was surprised that he’d failed to consider that himself. He was so focused on getting Narsi into the Shard of Heaven safely that he’d let too much slip his mind. But Narsi was right, Ariz was hardly an ideal messenger, not unless Clara had some way to control him.
“First, in her experience, I’m not clever enough to understand her strategies, much less report them. Second, the farther I am away from her, the less capable I am of slitting her throat. Third, she doesn’t have a better option,” Ariz replied. “Right now, she’s busy working some larger spell in the Shard of Heaven. She can’t shield her people from the Shroud of Stone if they travel too far from her. I’m carrying Trueno’s relic in my body. It retains traces of the original blessings that protected Trueno when Our Savior first released the Shroud of Stone”
“So you’re protected by Meztli’s shields,” Fedeles murmured.
“For the time being, at least.” Ariz nodded.
Atreau considered the information, then asked, “Any idea about this larger spell that Clara is casting?”
“I don’t know, but I suspect that it involves Remes in some way. She’s killed most of Hierro’s other followers but kept him alive and placed a powerful thrall over him.”
“If I’m right, then she plans to take possession of his body and claim the throne as her own,” Fedeles said.
A little too late for that, Atreau thought, but Clara couldn’t know that Sevanyo had disinherited Remes. At least not yet.
“I have no intention of delivering the Summer Doe’s relic to Clara.” Ariz looked to Fedeles, then him. “She won’t release Marisol, no matter what she says. Marisol’s best hope lies in Clara’s defeat. So if there is any way that I can help you stop Clara, then just tell me and I’ll do all I can.”
Atreau couldn’t help but raise his brows at the sweeping offer, but Narsi looked delighted.
“What we truly need is a way to draw Clara’s attention and guardsmen away from the southern passageway below the Shard of Heaven,” Narsi informed him.
Ariz considered for a moment, then nodded.
“If I advanced on them by way of the Dasma Bridge, Clara would be forced to dispatch forces to deal with me.” Ariz spoke with an air of his old dispassionate tone. As if it wasn’t his own life he was discussing. “If I’m lucky, I might be able to get inside and free Marisol.”
“I’ll go with you,” Fedeles said.
Atreau had to resist the urge to reach out and shake Fedeles.
“You are Cadeleon’s king now,” Atreau snapped. “You can not just—”
“I can and I will!” Fedeles cut him off with a shout.
Out of the corner of his eye, Atreau saw Elezar and his troops observing them and felt an absurd sort of embarrassment at being caught bickering in front of the Labarans. He swallowed the words he might have otherwise yelled at Fedeles.
Fedeles too appeared to restrain himself. The two of them stood glowering at each other for a moment, then Fedeles released a heavy sigh.
“You and Narsi are more important than anyone else right now,” Fedeles said. “But Clara believes that I possess Yah-muur’s Horn, so she will focus her attention and her guardsmen on me. If I join Ariz in the north of the city, then we’re certain to distract Clara from the two of you. And that is the best action to take for the sake of our entire nation. So, I will brook no further argument on the subject, Lord Vediya. Am I understood?”
Atreau fumed silently, but he recognized that Fedeles was correct.
“Understood, Your Highness.” Atreau offered him a half bow.
Fedeles had the grace to look discomfited by that. Then he glanced past Atreau and raised one hand in greeting. Atreau looked to see Elezar approaching them. Elezar stopped beside Atreau.
“Are you all about done here?” Elezar asked. “If so, the grooms have brought your horses.” He gestured behind him.
Atreau had been so caught up in the conversation that he’d hardly noticed the movements among Elezar’s troops. But now he saw that grooms had fetched not only his gray stallion, Nube, and Narsi’s piebald mare, but Firaj as well.
“Scouts report bishop’s guardsmen and their mordwolves regrouping around the Shard of Heaven,” Elezar went on. “On this side of the Gado Bridge, their forces are making for the southern passages. It looks like they’re planning to secure the Shard of Heaven as a stronghold. So if we’re going to get anyone inside, we need to move out now.”
“Right.” Atreau touched Narsi’s hand and then started toward the horses.
“Ariz and I will cross the Gado Bridge and approach the Shard of Heaven to provide a further distraction,” Fedeles informed Elezar.
Atreau didn’t miss Elezar’s hesitation. He thought they might to have to argue the entire matter through yet again. But instead Elezar lifted a chain from around his own neck and handed it to Fedeles.
“This is one of the charms that Skellan and his coven forged to ward off the Shroud of Stone.”
“But won’t you need it?” Fedeles asked.
“So long as my soul is hidden within a beast’s body, Skellan should be able to protect me. You take it and keep yourself safe.” Then Elezar stepped back from them and pulled the hood of his bearskin cloak over his head. As the hood settled, his whole body stretched and flexed, growing into the hide of the cloak and beyond. In a flurry of white fur Elezar transformed back into the immense bear that had carried Narsi and himself to the sacred grove.
“Thank you.” Fedeles clasped the charm around his neck.
Elezar inclined his massive head.
While Atreau, Narsi and Fedeles mounted their horses, Ariz too transformed, returning to the body of an eagle. He leapt into the air and glided alongside Fedeles and Firaj as they lit out for the Gado Bridge. Atreau watched them go, trying not to worry for them. Then he turned his attention back to Narsi.
“Happy Solstice,” Atreau said.
“You as well.” Narsi offered him a smile. Then Elezar charged ahead and they raced behind him.
•••
Elezar’s chosen cavalry charged ahead of them, scattering and capturing the guardsmen patrolling the riverside streets. The air rang with clashes of sword blades and the cries of wounded and dying men. Elezar himself attacked and killed mordwolf after mordwolf. His muzzle and claws glistened with blood. Atreau stared as Elezar threw his weight down, crushing the backs of two mordwolves. A third lunged up, sinking its teeth into Elezar’s throat. Elezar ripped it aside with a swat of a massive paw. Blood poured down his neck and shoulder. Countless other wounds gaped open all across Elezar’s body, but he betrayed neither pain nor fatigue as he plunged into another pack of snarling enthralled beasts.
“Will he be all right?” Narsi’s hands automatically went to his medical satchel.
“So long as we succeed, he’ll be fine,” Atreau replied.
Narsi cast him a skeptical glance.
“We both need to believe that right now,” Atreau said. Everything Elezar and his cavalry suffered was to deliver Narsi safely into the Shard of Heaven. But it did no good to brood on their sacrifice. They owed it to them to make good use of the distraction. Atreau reined his mount away from the battle. Narsi followed close behind.
While Elezar and his cavalry drew away the attention of guards and priests, Atreau and Narsi turned their horses over to a young groom. Then they swiftly descended the narrow alley entrance to another snake hole. The brick-lined walls were slick with condensation and the stale air tasted of the rusting iron plates behind those bricks.
It was one of three supply tunnels that Haldiim engineers had employed for constructing the long passage running below the river to the Shard of Heaven. Once the thoroughfare-sized grand passage was completed, the supply tunnels had been relegated to use for drainage and sewage. This tunnel, however, had been saved from complete degradation. Generations of wayward priests secretly maintained and cleaned the tunnel. In return they were able to regularly defy curfews and access the temptations of the city without alerting their brethren who kept guard along the main passage.
Happily, those same priests had left an oil lamp on a small iron peg. The damp wick spat and crackled, but it provided enough light for Narsi and Atreau to see one another as well as the swaths of green snails blanketing the walls.
“Keep a lookout for rats,” Atreau whispered to Narsi. Then his boot sank into something fleshy and rotten. The remains of a tail fell across his toe. He scowled and added, “Live ones.”
Narsi laughed. “You know, it’s remarkable that this isn’t the worst place you’ve taken me. It’s not even the worst tunnel.”
“Lesser men tour lovely venues to compensate for their bland company,” Atreau replied as he casually scraped the muck off his boot heel. “While I’m burdened with such a dazzling companion that I must resort to seeps and sewers to counterbalance even a little of your brilliance.”
“I’m both charmed and chagrined that you’ve managed to blame me for this choice of surroundings,” Narsi countered.
If they lived, Atreau thought, he would be happy to spend the rest of his life exploring the vast catalog of Narsi’s rejoinders.
If they lived . . .
They hadn’t moved far down the tunnel before they encountered a group of Cire’s rat familiars. Their presence reassured Atreau, but their conditions unnerved him a little. One of the large rats had already succumbed to the Shroud of Stone, while another three lay curled up and immobile as shells of while marble encased their gasping bodies. The remaining two rats led them to a grate high in the tunnel wall. Streams of water drizzled down from a large drainpipe.
Atreau wrenched the aged grate free and tossed it aside. Minutes later they crawled up and climbed through the steady trickle of water to reach the mouth of the drain. Thankfully, someone had already loosened the grate and Atreau only had to push the thing aside to drag himself free. Then he reached back and helped Narsi shoulder his way clear.
