Wave touched, p.22
Wave-Touched, page 22
“I’m sorry you had to return here,” Quillon offered in a low voice, “but it is nice to see you.”
An unexpected wave of fondness struck Veyl. Not just for Mardi and Quillon, but for this place and its people, encouraged in part by the greetings and smiles she received from several market vendors and Qwilki they passed along the way. “I feel the same on both counts.”
She caught his nod out of the corner of her eye. Knowing he, and possibly Mardi as well, supported her, helped her hold on to her courage, though she wasn’t certain if either would go so far as to defy their leadership if they had to choose. Then again, she had no way of knowing who here might be part of the resistance. There was always a chance they were. What would Jinau do if the council pressed him? She hated to consider it, dreading the genuine possibility that he might risk his life for his Seh’hali.
The Great Hall had its doors shut when they arrived, the council once again not allowing the public to be a part of the proceedings. They had more guards along the walls than she had ever seen there at one time. Veyl followed Mardi inside with the rest of Kyril’s officers behind her and Jinau at her side. Once they stopped before the council table, the guards moved off to the sides, and Veyl bowed along with the fleet ahnkreths.
“Ahninveth na sek Veyl,” Councilor Darith greeted. His gaze lingered briefly on the man who had taken Nalika’s position, but he seemed little more than passingly interested in the change. “We are pleased to see you returning to us with Ahnkreth Kyril’s fleet, as promised.” The doors at the back of the hall opened, and he fell silent, waiting as Eavara and some of her crew escorted Kyril to the front.
Veyl didn’t allow herself to watch him walk up. She winced when Eavara and the soldier on his other side put their hands on his shoulders and each rammed a knee into the back of one of his, forcing him to kneel. The crack of his knees hitting the stone floor made her wince, but he tossed his hair back and raised his chin in defiance, as if he hadn’t felt it.
By the Break, he was magnificent, and not just physically.
She stared ahead, burying any thoughts that could cause them trouble. Was one of them an Evoker? If so, unless they had an uncommonly powerful ability, they would have to make eye contact to pull much out of her head, so she carefully avoided looking directly at any of them.
Darith came around the table and approached their prisoner, a bitter edge to his smile. “And Ahnkreth Kyril himself. I look forward to presiding over your sentencing, Ahnkreth.”
Kyril said nothing.
Veyl’s gut twisted. How soon would they pass judgment on him? The plan relied upon having a day or two for Jinau and the others to reach out to allies and assess potential resistance in case the councilors didn’t cave to intimidation. In all likelihood, Vanris’s force could win a confrontation given the number and power of the mind-crafters they brought with them, but the idea was to avoid violence if possible. They weren’t out to cripple Thaelis or risk substantial losses among their own people. What if Kyril didn’t have that much time? Could she convince Arhk to risk more bloodshed for one man if it came to that?
“We have much to discuss with our Feral ahnkreth, but that can wait until after we have dealt with our guests.”
The way Darith spat out the word guests as though it tasted foul made it hard for Veyl to maintain her neutral expression. Again, she didn’t let herself watch as they hauled Kyril to his feet and escorted him through a door at the back of the room. She longed to call out to him, his name resting unspoken on her lips. This would not end in his death. She wouldn’t allow it.
The head councilor turned to her. “You brought the Vanrians to collect their people, as expected. We would like a full account of the agreements you came to with them before we allow their representatives to join us.”
The Vanrians. He explicitly had not referred to them as her people. “Of course, Councilor,” she said. She couldn’t quite avoid his eyes with him this close, so she kept her thoughts on a leash and hoped he wasn’t an Evoker.
Fortunately, they had worked out a script for her to follow regarding the agreement she reached with Vanris. She passed along their displeasure over the terms allowing Vanrians to stay, should they choose to, and shared a desire for reparations for harm inflicted on the people taken and for lives lost and damage done to the two towns that were attacked. Vanris demanded assurances that if they agreed not to return here, Thaelis would also agree never to visit Pandrea again. Just those few topics should prompt negotiations that would use up the needed time. If things progressed too quickly, Arhk also intended to show interest in local goods based on his brief walk through the port market on the way here and propose the possibility of trade as an alternative to avoiding all future contact. On the unlikely chance that all of that didn’t keep the council occupied long enough, he would suggest the installation of a Vanrian military base to stir them up.
Veyl recounted the fabricated outcome of their negotiations that she had rehearsed several times on the voyage over. The points Vanris supposedly agreed to were selected to keep the council from becoming too upset while still setting up enough disagreement to make it appear genuine and promote ongoing discussions. Considering the situation, she had, in terms of the agreement, convinced Vanris to agree to a great deal, but several members of the council still looked mildly disgusted with her by the time she was done.
Darith regarded Jinau, who stood passively beside her. “This is all accurate?”
Jinau nodded. “Ahninveth na sek Veyl handled negotiations admirably, Councilor.”
An underlying note of satisfaction in the reaction of the councilors to that brief exchange made Veyl’s skin crawl, as if they were trying to groom her for something. They had never discussed her return to Vanris once she met the terms of the agreement, only that of her people. Did they somehow believe they could keep her here?
The councilor inclined his head before turning to her again. “Given your youth and limited guidance, I would say you have done reasonably well. Better than many here expected. I am certain we can resolve the rest now that the Vanrians have arrived.” He glanced toward the entrance and called, “Bring them in.”
Guards pulled open the main doors enough to allow the representatives from Vanris entrance. Arhk strode in ahead of the guards escorting a group that included other Vanrian and Delaphinian officers and, to her great disappointment, Jaysen, but it was the dhomvalen who captured everyone’s attention.
For the first time, she saw her grandfather as the powerful and terrifying man people told her he was. The man soldiers in the southern kingdoms had given names like the Bane, the Waking Nightmare, and Beast of the Break during the war. Though that had been before she was born, the passing of years treated him well, and he entered with confidence, advancing swiftly up the center of the room with powerful, bold strides that forced those following him to stretch to keep up. His long white-blond hair and the full-length black jacket he wore, adorned with dark metal accents evocative of armor, flowed out behind him. A hint of pressure and the slightest dimming of the light in the room added to his aura of intimidation. Subtle manipulations that she had a greater awareness of now because she shared his Frightener nature.
The unpleasant emotions brought by Jaysen’s presence vanished before a sparkle of delight at how hastily Darith retreated behind the table when Arhk approached. Maybe threatening them into giving up their seats wouldn’t be that difficult after all.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
After brief introductions, the council and representatives retired to a large meeting room behind the long table. They spent what remained of the day in tense discussion, each side trying to nudge the other to an agreement. The group from Vanris left most of the talking to Arhk, and he embraced his role. He played the council easily, his skills as a negotiator apparently as sharp as ever, while the Thaelians, given their isolation, had little reason to be practiced at it on this level. The dhomvalen laced his statements with carefully chosen words hinting at cooperation, allowing them to settle into the idea that Vanris might go along with them on one point or another. Then he would strike them with a soft-spoken, compelling argument against the matter in question, sending them scrambling to figure out where the discussion had gone wrong.
Veyl knew her grandfather well enough to see in his eyes and the faint curve of his lips now and then that he enjoyed the game, especially since Vanris had no intention of giving this council anything in the end. All they were doing now was stalling.
“If any of your people wish to stay in Thaelis, there is no reason they should not be given the opportunity to do so,” Shyall commented for perhaps the fifth time in the last hour. She had quickly learned not to refer to the abducted Vanrians as newcomers with Arhk.
They had been going around on this one subject for almost two hours, and Veyl could see Arhk’s answer in his eyes before he spoke. “None of our people will stay here.” His flat tone said, not for the first time, that it was no longer up for negotiation.
Veyl had spoken little throughout the evening, only commenting when she could offer something that would allow her to dance the line between them and not show a strong loyalty to either side. She saw a potential stalling opportunity here, however. One that might move them past it for now, while providing a more substantial delay going forward.
“Respectfully, I disagree with your approach on this, Dhomvalen.” Arhk arched a brow at her, and a flicker of pressure swept through the room, letting her know she had displeased him. It was hard not to smile at the way the councilors shifted back in their chairs, as if trying to put more distance between themselves and the powerful Frightener. “These people were taken from their homes against their will once. While it may be extremely difficult to imagine them wanting to stay under the circumstances, would it not be wrong to deny them their right to choose their own fates a second time?”
“Ahninveth Veyl speaks with wisdom beyond her years.” Darith’s pleased smile made it clear he believed her words supported their side.
Arhk eyed her shrewdly. “How would you handle this, then, Khesran Veyl?”
“Ahninveth,” another councilor corrected him.
Arhk didn’t acknowledge them with so much as a glance.
“My position among us is unique. I am of Vanris, brought here against my will with the others and trusted by them, but I also represent Thaelis and know some of its people and qualities. With a proper escort, I could go around tomorrow and speak with the Vanrians here personally to discover whether there are any who would genuinely prefer to remain on the islands.”
A sneer curved Arhk’s lips, though she wondered how much of that was for show, given their actual goal. Did he recognize that her proposal could provide Jinau and the others more time to complete their tasks?
Darith glanced around at his fellow councilors, receiving several nods, some less enthusiastic than others. “We would allow this, so long as Ahndhomen Jinau and guards appointed by the council accompany you to ensure no attempts at persuasion.”
“If you wish to waste time,” Arhk said with a heavy edge of disdain. “I will appoint a representative from our side to accompany her as well. Given that we will clearly not be resolving this tonight, I suggest adjourning for now. My fleet is weary from travel and in need of sustenance.”
Darith nodded, jumping on the opportunity to escape the negotiations a bit too eagerly. “Yes. Of course. We will arrange for Ahninveth Veyl to begin visiting the Vanrians here in the morning. For the time being, we ask that you and your people remain confined to your ships. We can have food and drink sent out if you are in need.”
Arhk shook his head and stood, the others following his lead. “No, thank you. We can feed our own.” The expression of mistrust behind his refusal was a slight to their hosts, who had already insulted them by not offering lodgings within the city, though Veyl wasn’t sure the councilors had an adequate understanding of political negotiations to recognize either as such. His gaze settled on her. “Khesran, if you will join us.”
“You are welcome to stay ashore, Ahninveth Veyl,” Shyall offered. “Quarters are available.”
Veyl bowed her head politely. “Thank you, Councilor. I wish to speak with the Vanrian representatives before I settle in. It might be easier if I stayed on the ship tonight. I would be happy to consider your kind offer tomorrow.”
Several of the councilors’ expressions tightened with displeasure, but Shyall glanced briefly at Arhk, then nodded to Veyl. “As you please. The space will remain open for you.”
That Arhk alone had set the Thaelians on edge was clear. It was strange to see her beloved grandfather through their eyes, a powerful mind-crafter whose menacing presence had them all desperate to escape the room. Adding the threat of more kingdoms allied against them, with Delaphine representatives and Sarket’s rightful heir represented alongside him, they might well have enough already to frighten the councilors off their seats of power if they went about it correctly.
Thaelian soldiers escorted them back to the port. Along the way, Jaysen took advantage of the opportunity to fall into step beside her. Even though Gannon and Jinau weren’t privy to most of the details of what had happened between them, she sensed a faint rise in tension from both men as they moved a little closer, as if they instinctively sensed a threat.
“Jaysen, how was your voyage across?” Veyl asked, hoping to keep their interaction friendly and give herself some control of the conversation.
“Uneventful.” He glanced at Arhk, walking a few feet ahead of them, eyes narrowing. “Rather lonely and boring, to be honest.”
“Weren’t Ahrin and Iyvalin on your ship?”
Jaysen shook his head, the pinching of his brows suggesting surprise. His resentful gaze flickered to Gannon. “I assumed all three of them were with you.”
“No. Only Gannon.” Veyl couldn’t stop herself from glancing at Arhk’s back. Why had he split them up that way? Gannon parted from his twin and Iyvalin when he most needed their support. Jaysen separated from all of them. He must have had reasons.
Some of the aggression in Jaysen’s posture faded, as if he had suspected her of playing a part in his isolation and was now willing to shift the blame entirely to Arhk. As the dhomvalen had been the one to decide who would be on what ship, she couldn’t bring herself to argue, especially since it deflected Jaysen’s temper away from her.
His expression softened a little when he spoke again. “I hope these negotiations resolve quickly. I doubt we’ll have much opportunity to talk until they do, unless I might be allowed to join you in speaking to the Vanrians tomorrow.”
“No.” Arhk glanced over one shoulder, his soft yet powerful voice cutting across the space between them. “Veyl is the one working for the Thaelian council. There is no reason to complicate the situation now.”
“As you say, Dhomvalen.” Jaysen inclined his head in a gesture of respect, though she was in a position to notice how his shoulders tightened and his hands flexed with barely restrained anger.
Had his few years back in Sarket twisted him so thoroughly? Enough that he would react with such aggression to her and a man who had helped mentor him for much of his childhood. This couldn’t all be because of Kyril, could it?
Veyl touched his arm. “We’ll talk soon,” she said in a gentle tone she hoped would deflect his temper.
Jaysen looked at her, affection rising in his bright blue eyes in the light of a street lantern at the port entrance. “Yes, we will.” Something in his tone gave a little too much confidence to his words. He caught her hand as she drew it away. “I know we will.” He gave it a squeeze and released it, turning his attention to the far end of the docks. “I should find my tender.”
“Accompany the prince,” Arhk said, signaling two of the Vanrians guards.
Jaysen waved them off, gesturing to two Thaelian guards that were already splitting off to go with him. “It’s not that long of a walk. I’m sure these two know their way around well enough to get me there.” He glanced at her once more, then turned and strode off into the darkness with the Thaelians falling into step alongside him. He engaged one in conversation, and the man pointed toward the heart of the city, leaving her to wonder what they were discussing.
Gannon leaned close to her, speaking in a low voice. “Is it just me, or was there something disturbing about that whole encounter?”
A shiver moved through Veyl, and she hugged her arms around herself. “There was,” she murmured.
When they reached the Delaphinian flagship, Arhk requested that she join him in his quarters, a development Veyl appreciated. She had questions for him she meant to get answers to, and she jumped in with the first the moment the door to the main cabin closed behind them.
“Why did you separate the twins, Iyvy, Jaysen, and me the way you did?”
Arhk poured two small glasses of something that smelled stronger than his usual fare and handed her one. “I appreciate the strategic sense you showed today. At every opportunity, you encouraged them to believe you were, at worst, a neutral party and, at best, agreeing with their side. The questioning of our people may have been the perfect maneuver to stall them for as long as we need to. A brilliant tactical maneuver.” He took a sip of the drink. “Now, what was it you were asking?”
She refused to let his praise distract her, though it brought a pleased flush to her cheeks. “About the ship arrangements,” she prompted again, and took a sip of the drink he had given her. It burned like fire all the way down, striking off a fit of violent coughing. “By the Break, what is this?” she choked out when she could finally talk again.
Arhk chuckled. “It is an acquired taste. Is there something else you need?”
Veyl swallowed her irritation along with another, more cautious sip, then tried a different topic. “How do you manage your ability so precisely? You always know just the right amount of darkness and pressure you need to influence your subjects.”
