Earthbound, p.30
Earthbound, page 30
He caught the eye of a man nearest him. “Who are you?”
The man remained silent, fear exuding from him in almost tangible waves. Knox narrowed his eyes and looked from person to person within the camp. Without exception they all shared a common expression of pained terror.
“Have you seen a young girl?” he echoed again. “Tell me. I can help you.”
A peal of laughter sounded from behind the rows of makeshift soldiers. “Which vow will you honour, Overseer? Which innocent life are you willing to sacrifice?”
Knox lowered his club and clenched his jaw. The Commander’s voice was one he would not forget anytime soon. He crouched, readying to push himself skyward.
“You move, and the girl dies.”
He froze.
“That’s right. Stand slowly, or I will make sure you will watch her bleed out into this newly-hallowed earth.”
He slowly eased himself upright, scanning the crowd for the source of the voice.
“Better,” she cooed, still obscured from sight. “Now remain still as my people properly bind you, and the girl may survive the night.”
A group of eight burly men pushed their way forward through the lines of those pressed into service.
“If you hurt her, nothing will keep me from tearing you apart.”
Another peal of laughter. “Oh, I have no doubt you would try, but for her sake, kneel.”
Knox looked at the would-be-soldiers before him. They returned his gaze, reflecting the same horror and impotence he felt, no doubt all held hostage by similar threats of harming those they loved.
His mouth flattened even as he dropped to his knees. “Let me see her.”
The raiders pushed forward, energy weapons extended. Knox stopped them with a look, his hand hovering at his belt. Their eyes fixed on the gnarled root and froze. His work here and in Beryl had obviously left an impression. Impression. He glanced at the club as the name settled. His lip curled at the thought of the work Impression would soon attend.
“Show me the child and the woman and I will surrender. If you don’t, this field will become your burial plot.”
“You would murder your own people? Innocents?” she taunted. “I think not, Overseer.”
“Collateral damage is acceptable.” He grimaced as those standing around him deflated, further robbed of any hope they held.
“Ahh, the integrity of an Overseer. Lucky for each of you, the Earth is a much more giving mother. I will not throw your lives away so easily.” Her voice sounded from beyond the ring of firelight. Knox squinted trying to make out her figure in the darkness.
“Give me a vow, Overseer, and I will release the girl.”
Knox furrowed his brow. A vow? She wanted his loyalty?
“An exchange: you for her. I’ll honour it if you secure it.”
His face cleared. Not loyalty—assurance. This he could give. He was thankful for the cover of night to hide his misgivings. To protect Kipp, he would do almost anything. “The woman as well,” he countered.
Silence met him for the space of several heartbeats. “She’s not a part of this bargain.”
Knox moved to stand and the men around him jumped back. A shrill scream cut through the night, followed by whimpering. Kipp. Heat boiled under his skin at the sound. “Your bones will be dust—”
“Kneel! She’ll be dead before you take a step. I don’t think you want that. Do we have an agreement?”
Forgive me, Maven. He dropped to his knees and looked through the lines of conscripts.
“Give me someone else. The girl needs a guardian.” A boy not much older than fourteen stood between a haggard-looking woman and man. “That boy, there,” he pointed through the group.
The woman looked up, hope filling her face.
“Fine,” the Commander huffed and muttered orders to her raiders to pick the boy out. “Now the oath?”
Knox gave himself a moment to carefully select the words he would use. “If you release the boy, and the child, unharmed and unrestrained, and leave them free to go where they wish, I will surrender to you tonight.”
“Swear it on the Sky.”
“By the Sky, I swear this.” His stomach twisted even as he contemplated abandoning the vow.
Into the light of the furthest fire, the Commander pushed Kipp forward. He swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat and clenched his fists at the sight of the child. Debris clung to her hair, and her clothing was torn. Her hand clutched at her opposing arm, bright crimson staining her fingers. It must have been a thin blade that had pierced her, the blood flow already staunched, but she looked unnaturally pale even under the warm light of the fires.
Knox stood on reflex and reached for his club. He would kill this woman without a shred of regret. A violent wave of nausea washed over him. The vow. He let out a string of curses.
The Commander’s momentary flash of alarm retreated behind a gloating smile. “Ah, ah, ah. You should know better. This damage was done before your oath.”
He narrowed his eyes, biting back a growl. “You will regret ever laying a hand on her.”
“Aeslyn? She has handled much worse and come through.”
He would have rushed the Commander right then if Kipp had not struggled from her captor’s grip and darted forward between a break in the boundary fires and crashed into him.
He caught her in his arms, and she clung tight.
“Are you okay?” he asked, her face pressed flat into his chest. He peeled her back to look at the wound on her arm. As he suspected, while deep, it wasn’t long, and the bleeding had stopped.
She nodded.
He tucked her head into his neck whispering his apologies. “I’m going to fix this. This boy,” he looked up to the young man who was being prodded in their direction, “is going to bring you back to Loghin.”
She pulled back to look at Knox, her round eyes glassy and lips pursed against the building emotion. Her tangled curls trembled as she shook her head emphatically.
A claw of regret tore its way into his heart, wishing he could scoop her into his arms and walk away from everything. He tucked a stray curl from her forehead and kept his voice low. “I’ll be okay. I need to stay and make sure no one else gets hurt and help Maven. When I am done, I will come back.”
She tented her brows, clearly unsure.
“Trust me.” He brushed a bit of dirt from her face and stood. The boy had looked beaten down in the line but now had a new fire burning behind his eyes as he stepped up. “Your name?”
“Samn.”
“I am trusting you to get her to safety.”
“I won’t let you down, Overseer.”
“Good,” he said. “Find a man named Loghin. Do you understand?” The boy nodded mutely. “You know where to go, right?” Kipp dipped her head once. The solemn gesture on her tiny frame sent a fresh wave of anger washing through him as the guards opened a path for the two children into the night. Samn cast a look back at his parents before reaching for Kipp’s hand. She ignored the offer and turned to squeeze Knox’s legs one last time. He used one arm to hug her back and then flipped one of her half-undone pigtails. She looked up at him. Knox pasted on a reassuring smile.
“I’ll see you soon, okay?”
She returned the smile, tentative as it was, and took Samn’s hand. By the firelight, the crowd of conscripts and raiders alike watched the two children walk into the night.
“Bind him,” the Commander ordered, still standing at the far edge of the firelight. The group of bolt-wielding raiders converged on him once again and this time Knox let them bind his arms with thick manacles behind his back.
One of the raiders took his club from his belt. Knox glared at the man. Thick features were obscured by an aggressively clipped beard trying to bring sharp lines where there were none. The soldier retreated and handed the weapon to the Commander.
“You may regret taking that,” he said.
The Commander laughed and clipped Impression to her own belt, making a snide comment in Tumultian. Some gloated and chuckled along with their leader, but a few watched Knox nervously.
The Commander strode through those pressed into her service with her chin tipped to the night, making a show of closing the distance between them without fear.
He clanked his hands together behind his back, testing the bond. The manacles, while thick, would provide little resistance once his oath no longer held him. At dawn, I’ll be released.
“Feeling brave now, I see,” he goaded.
The Commander sniffed as she came to stand before him. “I’m not a fool. You Overseers are not without your skill, as you proved in Beryl. Which makes me all the more glad we could come to an arrangement.”
She was as tall as Knox and stood looking him directly in the eye. The braids she wore were similar to the first time he saw her, but this time, the three were knotted in an intricate pattern atop her head. Her dark eyes measured him even as a taunting half-smile formed. She reached into a pouch at her waist. “Even if it is only for tonight.”
Knox’s jaw twitched. She hadn’t missed his wording. The Commander laughed as she held up a device for him to see. A smooth metal pod that fit within her palm. With a gentle squeeze of her hand around the oblong sphere, energy crackled to life along the manacles and arced into his body.
Precipice
Emilia
Emilia knew she shouldn’t be mad at Tehran. What had Venier said? His vows pulled at him? It wasn’t as if he was trying to hurt her, but no matter how hard she worked to convince her mind, her heart felt the stab of betrayal. I’m never enough.
They’d spent the rest of the day apart, she in her room and Tehran preparing the team headed for the Reaches. The evening meal came and went, and still she stubbornly remained sequestered, cursing the hope that Tehran would come to her. That he’d choose her. The hours ticked by, and the sky darkened.
Finally, she heard the rumble of Tehran’s baritone a floor below, talking to Solace. Irrational hope bloomed in her chest, and she forced herself to curl up on the bed.
His steps sounded on the landing, but they didn’t pause by her door and instead, continued down the hall to his room. At the unmistakable click of the door locking, her heart dropped.
For a brief, exultant moment, she had a future. A way to salvage something from the wreckage of her life and cobble together a shell to shelter under. Not even a day later, and the illusion was dispelled.
She swallowed back tears and gritted her teeth. There had to be another way forward for both of them. Suddenly inspired, Emilia jumped up from the bed and dug through to the bottom of her bag where the device that held her copy of the Book of Oaths was hidden. She flipped it on and started reading.
Simplistic in nature, the Primary Oath could be left to a broad interpretation. It was in the pages that followed where every loophole was stitched tight with secondary tenants. To break a secondary tenant was to be disowned by the Order. To break the Primary Oath or to neglect the assurances, and the Sky herself would abandon you.
It cleared up something that had confused Emilia for a long time. Knox had laid down his Primary Oath only because the Order demanded it, not because of the Sky. He had broken no oath, and the additional assurance added prohibiting children held no sway over the Sky’s strength. She’d already been pregnant when he went to the Capital. He gave up his power willingly. He’d always said as much, but Emilia assumed a deeper coercion, that his strength would be forfeit unless he submitted to their new law. This is what Venier was talking about.
Knowing he was being used as precedent, Knox took himself out of the equation. Upholding the integrity of his oaths and protecting their future while refusing to be used as a tool against his fellow Overseers. A new crack spidered through her heart. He chose me and willingly took on the consequences he never had to bear. Anguish collapsed under her fury.
And Tehran? Emilia put the book down and leaned back against the wall, tucking her toes under the folded blanket atop the bed. She tipped her head to the ceiling and squeezed her eyes shut. If their conversation today proved anything, Tehran too was being cornered and manipulated. Does he see what’s happening?
She sat forward with a jerk. Venier’s words had been veiled, but the implication had not. Even Tehran had picked it up. The Elder opposed how Elevated Dareous was trying to restrict and control the Overseers. If true, she could know a way to spare Tehran from the same fate as Knox.
After all Tehran had done for her, the least she could do was fight for him now. Shame over her petty words and childish tantrum set her cheeks aflame. I’ll fix this. Without another thought, Emilia grabbed her pants from where they were draped across the end of the bed and pulled them on. With quick movements she tucked in the thin camisole and snatched a thicker knit sweater from the drawer, yanking it over her head. Moments later, she slipped from her room.
◆◆◆
Venier’s house bustled with vehicles and people moving about with purpose, despite the late hour. The large structure boasted a covered entry and cobblestone drive where two scout craft were parked. The vehicles looked of the wrong sort to be sitting in front of such a refined house; both utilitarian in nature and typically used in transport caravans not within the tightly packed Capital.
Emilia slowed her pace and pushed into the shadows of the hedge lining the property, her eyes flicking to the light bursting from the building. A discreet conversation with the Elder looked to be off the table. A steady flow of people moved in through the ornate double doors.
Venier appeared in the doorway, and Emilia pressed herself deeper into the branches. The action sat at odds with her purpose. She needed to speak to Venier, but didn’t want to draw undue attention.
Emilia could bring a whirlwind of trouble down on Tehran. The prospect stole her breath away. She didn’t want to cause him any more pain. She peeked out from around the branches, straining her ears to catch any snippet of what Venier was saying. The murmured rhythms of conversation were all that carried over the distance. Disappointed, she leaned back into the cover of the shadows trying to think how she should proceed.
Elder Venier seemed to genuinely want to help. She knew her mother and understood Emilia’s frustrations. She even understood what had drawn Emilia and Tehran together amidst everything else.
A shadow detached from the hedgerow and swept towards her, hardly slowing. It grasped her hand, pulling her forward. A squeak escaped her lips before she recognized the towering form. “Tehran!”
He ignored the greeting, his voice a low growl. “You are going to be the death of me, Em. What are you doing here?”
She stumbled trying to keep up to his quick pace but his grip on her hand kept her upright. “I came to speak with Venier. What are you doing here? You went to bed.”
“So did you.”
“And then you followed me?”
“I came to check on preparations, and there you were, pretending to be part of the hedge.”
“I wasn’t pretending—wait—were you spying on her?” A muscle in his jaw flexed.
“I’m working.” His steps slowed even as his eyes remained focused on the activity before the large manor. “Venier is leading a team leaving for Rikken, and I’m helping to organize supplies.” He paused to clear his throat and released her arm. “Your conversation with the Elder will have to wait until we return.”
“Tehran, we need to talk. I did some more reading—”
He spun, amber eyes flashing and his broad back cutting the light, casting her into shadow. “I am done talking. Go home. Now.”
Speechless, she stood stunned as he stepped clear of the hedgerow and onto the drive. I have to warn him. She jogged a quick couple of steps to catch up. “Tehran—wait!”
A couple of men loading supplies paused to watch them pass. Tehran didn’t slow. “You can’t be here. Leave.”
Emilia cast a look around. No one looked ready to stop her. She quickened her step, coming alongside Tehran as they walked between the cut stone pillars of the entryway, and up the shallow steps.
With a huff, he stopped and stared at her. “Emilia—”
Venier returned to the open doorway. The Elder wore a less formal version of her earlier outfit, setka and all. The muted colours and light fabric billowed around the woman, dancing in the cool breeze.
“Ah there you are, Tehran. Almost ready?”
He bowed his head and clutched his fists to his chest. “The caravan cars are almost loaded, and we should be ready to leave within the hour.”
Emilia spun and faced him head on. “We? Tonight? You were going to leave without telling me?”
Venier’s wrinkled brow creased, looking between the two as Tehran pulled in an exaggerated breath, clearly agitated. “I was going to send you word once things were settled.”
A flood of heat flushed through Emilia, indignant hackles primed. “Send me word? With communications down, you were going to send me word.”
Tehran’s face reddened and a flash of pained regret spilled across his strong features, but she wasn’t finished.
“Rikken is my home too, you piece of uncut stone. You didn’t think I deserved to help defend the people I love? Not to mention I am the best machinist on either side of the Skybound Range, and your best chance at stopping those earthbound.” She sucked in a quick breath, swiping hair from her face, and glared at him. She didn’t care who was watching.
“Emilia.” The way he said her name sounded like a plea.
“Don’t ‘Emilia’ me. We’re supposed to be bound, Tehran. To belong to one another, and you were going to abandon me here?”
“I can’t bring you with me—again.” The heat left his voice and the quiet stilled her.
She met his tone. “I can look after myself.”
He flinched at her words, and his shoulders dropped. “You can’t come.”
“Is that what this is all about?” Venier laughed, stepping forward. “Of course she can come.”
Tehran looked stricken for only a moment before bowing his head to the woman. “Yes, Elder.”
Emilia didn’t miss the glimmer of knowing in Venier’s eye as she walked them inside with a placating tone. “It’s admirable you wish to keep your wife safe, Tehran, but Emilia is right. She would be extremely valuable to our team moving forward.”
