CS - Chapters 26 to 30

Chapter 26

“Sit down, you look pale,” Shanah said.

I shook my head, still trying to process what I’d just learned. Part of me burst with excitement that I knew something useful. That my life hadn’t been totally wasted so far. But the fact that my parents had hid it from me drained that happiness away.

“Do you have water in here?” Shanah asked.

I pointed to the desk across from my bed. A pitcher of water and four cups sat next to a dark shaker. The pitcher remained full from when I’d refilled it this afternoon. Compared to Dad, none of my family drank much water. We didn’t sweat as much either, even when running. Mom and I could run all night without needing a single cup of water. Dad had to drink every hour while practicing with my siblings.

I didn’t tell Shanah any of that though, she was just being nice, so I accepted the cup and took a sip. “Thanks.”

But it made me wonder about their motivations.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“Because someone likes golden eyes,” Lanah said.

Shanah gasped, turned red, and glared at her sister. “You little rabbit turd.”

Lanah held up her hands at her sister. “Fine!” Lanah turned to me. “We wanted to tell you what we found.”

Shanah continued to glare at her sister.

“Did you get a chance to talk to Wuk?” I asked Shanah.

“No, Yulth canceled our meeting.”

I remembered Gavyn telling Yulth to cancel everything for the rest of the day. He wanted to figure out what to do next. Worry for Lid came flooding back.

Why had I left Lid alone?

“Did you learn much?” I asked hopefully.

Lanah shook her head. “Not a lot. The Seekers all report to Gavyn and they’ve been running around the Archive Tower all day. I tried using the stairs to get into the cave tunnels under the tower, but they were heavily guarded.”

Shanah nodded. “And when Yulth canceled our meeting, I went back home and asked around about tonight. Our parents and Commander Jase are meeting with the Lore Master.”

“Lylly thinks the council will stop Gavyn. That I shouldn’t worry about Lid.”

“Adults are useless,” Lanah said.

“Well, Mom’s not bad,” Shanah replied.

“True.”

“But we can’t trust they’ll do the right thing.”

The twins stared at me, but I didn’t know how to respond. I’d stumbled from one disaster to another since I’d gotten here.

Lylly had told me to stay here and let the adults fix things, but it felt wrong to let others determine Lid’s fate. The guilt of leaving him still smothered me, and I wished I could keep him safe until I knew for sure everything would be okay.

“You said they’d increased the security to the lower levels?” I asked Lanah.

“Yep, the stairs in the Archive Tower are heavily guarded.”

I frowned. “And the only other entrance is a guarded impassable door.”

The more I thought about it the more I wanted to rescue Lid, but it seemed impossible.

“Wuk told me she remembered the guards from Jasper Pass,” Shanah said.

“Davot and Merth are their names. My dad talked to them when I was in the Hall of Glory. Whatever happened to them created a bond.”

“Interesting,” Lanah said.

I’d felt okay after talking to Lylly, but the twins didn’t have as much confidence about the outcome, and they knew everyone involved much better. Lid was in danger, and I needed to save him. But how?

In the Hall of Glory Davot had reacted strongly to Dad and displayed visible pride that Dad had remembered him. My anger flared as I thought about the secrets kept from me, but I pushed it away. Now wasn’t the time for that. Maybe if I explained everything to Davot he would let me in. Even if I could just see Lid, I’d feel better. It seemed like my only option.

For the first time since losing Lid, it didn’t feel like my heart was being crushed.

I took a deep breath. “I’m going to go get Lid.”

Lanah narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I’m going to rescue him and then hide him from the scribes. I should’ve never left him there.”

“How are you getting in?” Shanah asked.

“I’m going to see if Davot’s respect for my dad is enough to get me through the door.”

“That’s a really good idea,” Shanah said.

The twins looked at each other and smiled.

“Flasker is in the common room,” Shanah continued. “How are you escaping the Pillar?”

That was a problem. I kept my eyes away from Lanah’s rope. The twins had already risked too much coming here. If they got caught helping me significantly, they’d get crushed by the adults. Especially Shanah as Flasker had made it clear how he felt about me. Even borrowing Lanah’s chalk to increase my odds of surviving the climb down the Tower would be seen as aiding my escape.

I’d need to wait until everyone had fallen asleep, but waiting that long would be too late for Lid.

“I guess I’ll need to sneak out the front,” I said.

“You really are the dumbest person I’ve ever met,” Shanah replied.

“Hey! I do fine. Well, okay, anyway.”

Lanah stood and faced me. “If someone had only brought rope. You could have climbed right down the side of the Tower.”

Shanah stood up next to her sister. “Yeah, or brought food, so you had energy for a night out.”

Lanah pointed at her sister. “That would really be planning ahead.”

“You could almost say it is the opposite of dumb,” Shanah said.

Both girls stared at me on the word dumb. I looked at the rope at Lanah’s feet, and then at the food pouch on the floor near my bed. Even the idea of talking to Davot had come because of Shanah’s comment. The pair had intended to come with me from the start, despite the risks.

“You’re going to help me?” I asked.

“What was your first clue?” Shanah asked.

“Can’t you get in trouble for this? Even with your...condition?”

The twins laughed. Shanah bent over and hobbled around touching the bottom of her back. She spoke like an old lady. “Lanah…Lanah dear, get the doctor, my princess is flaring up.”

This sent the sisters into hysterical laughter, which they tried to cover. Lanah buried her face in her elbow and Shanah covered her mouth and nose with her hands.

I shook my head, walked over to the food, and sat down to wait them out. I finished two oat bars and another piece of jerky by the time they completely stopped. Even then, they wouldn’t look at each other, because every time they saw each other the laughter started all over again.

“Are you two always like this?” I asked.

“Only around each other,” Lanah said.

“And now you, I guess,” Shanah added quietly.

My chest warmed. These sisters only had each other and they’d accepted me into their circle. I smiled. It felt good.

“How did you know I’d decide to go?” I asked.

Shanah looked down for a few seconds and then locked eyes with me. “You didn’t tell Flasker the truth about why you were climbing down the tower. You protected me, a stranger, from a punishment I deserved. Would a person like that leave his friend in danger?”

“Plus, you’re not very bright,” Lanah said. “We figured you’d try something stupid before long.”

“We actually thought we might find you gone already,” Shanah added.

“I’m that predictable?”

Shanah smiled. “I didn’t expect you to climb down the outside of the Sword Pillar, so, no, you’re not that predictable.”

“But you are clearly dumb,” Lanah said. “Like a tier one weapon dumb. Now grab the rope, dumb-dumb, let’s see if you can make it more than one floor this time.”

My smile turned into a grin. Hold on buddy, we’re coming.

Chapter 27

We stood in the trees across from the entrance, and the clouds and tree leaves hid most of the moonlight, keeping us concealed. The darkness didn’t bother me, but the twins struggled a little and both had their hands out to keep from walking into branches.

“Your eyes gleam in the dark,” Shanah said.

I looked down embarrassed.

“No, I like it.”

“You do?”

In the daylight they looked gold, but in the dark, if any light reflected off them, they usually scared people.

“How well can you see in the dark?” Lanah asked.

“I don’t know. Like everyone else I guess.”

“You mean like your family,” Shanah said.

“Yeah.”

Lanah held up her hand and raised two fingers.

“Shanah can you see my hand?” Lanah asked.

“I can’t even see you,” Shanah replied.

“Cev?” Lanah asked.

“Two. And now you’re frowning. Don’t stick your tongue out at me.”

“You can definitely see better than normal people,” Lanah said.

“Hey! I’m normal.”

“Keep it down. Sorry, I just meant you see better in the dark than other people.”

“Once inside we’ll try and not use the shakers,” Shanah said. “You’ll lead and we’ll stay right behind you.”

We moved to the tree line, and enough light fell here that we could all see each other again. I studied the open space to the door, before checking both path directions. All clear.

Now that the time had come, doubt caught up to me. I didn’t have a choice, because if I didn’t do anything I might lose Lid forever, and that wasn’t something I could risk, but that was my problem, not the twins’ problem.

“Thank you for getting me here,” I said. “You two should go back. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”

“We’re going because what Gavyn wants to do is wrong,” Shanah said.

“Well, mostly for that, there might be some other –,” Lanah started.

Shanah raised her fist. “Will you stop it!”

“Okay!” Lanah said holding up her hands.

“What is with you two?” I asked.

The sisters faced me, narrowed their eyes, and opened their mouths to scold me.

I held up my hands. “You two have a lot to lose, and I don’t. I’ll get Lid alone.”

“You’re really sweet,” Shanah said.

“But we sneak around a lot,” Lanah continued, “and you’re terrible at it. Your chances without us are zero.” She made a circle with her fingers to emphasize her point.

I shook my head, defeated. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Let’s do this,” Shanah said.

Shanah and Lanah did their handshake and then hugged each other. Shanah motioned me forward and the three of us sprinted for the door. In moments we had our backs pressed against the cliff.

Lanah motioned me toward the door. I looked up and down the path again and then stepped in front of the door. I raised my hand to knock and realized I had no idea what I was going to say.

Why did I think this would work? It was obvious Davot respected Dad but that didn’t mean he would help me. He was a soldier first after all. This seemed like a good posting, and he probably wouldn’t want to risk that. He might not even believe Lid was in danger. The scribes were the experts and if they –

Lanah knocked on the door and then pressed herself flat against the rock.

“You think too much,” Lanah whispered.

My heart thudded in my chest and my mind screamed at me to run.

The eyehole slid open and Davot peered out at me.

“Hi, Cevin. What brings you out here?”

Should I lie? Tell him I forgot something? Curse Lanah for not giving me time to think of a story. But he might tell me to come back tomorrow and then I’d have to tell the truth anyway.

“Are you okay?” Davot asked.

That I knew the answer to.

“No. I’m not okay at all.”

“What’s wrong? I know these scribes can be frustrating for us soldiers, but there is value in –”

“It’s not the scribes. Well just one, actually. The truth is I need your help.”

“With what?”

I took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I need to get back inside the mountain.”

“I’m sorry, but Gavyn came by himself and told me not to let anyone through this door.”

I hunched my shoulders. Of course, Gavyn had told him that.

“It’s important,” I said. “Maybe even life or death.”

Davot laughed. “No reason to be so dramatic. Whatever it is it can wait until the morning.”

“Gavyn plans to melt Lid,” I said.

“Who’s Lid?”

“My weapon. He plans on destroying it to fix another weapon. He might have already started.”

That was close to a lie as I didn’t know for sure Gavyn would take such an extreme action without approval, but I felt desperate.

“Why would Gavyn destroy a good weapon to maybe fix a broken one? That doesn’t make sense. Also, I think you’d already be dead if your weapon was destroyed. Come back tomorrow.”

Davot closed the window, and I stared at the metal door. The way through the tower above was too heavily guarded to make it to the forge. This was my only option.

I could ask Shanah and Lanah to fetch their parents? The King and Queen could order Davot to open the door. Assuming they would even help, it would take too long. I needed to convince Davot to help me.

“Davot, I know you don’t know me. But I know these three things. One, I don’t plan to cause any problems. Two, I truly believe Gavyn intends to destroy my sword, and I may not survive this night. And three, regardless of what you chose to do, I know you’re a good man, because my father thinks you’re a good man.”

Silence. I looked at the twins and they both shrugged. I didn’t know what else to do. I put my head against the cold metal of the door and tried to ignore the pain in my chest. I had failed Lid and we might both die because of it.

The window slid open and Davot reappeared. “You have no right to use your father’s deeds for your own ends.”

“I know.”

“You are manipulating me.”

“Yes.”

“Curse you.”

Davot disappeared and I could hear him pacing on the other side of the door. I kept quiet, knowing everything hinged on Davot’s decision.

Davot reappeared, his eyes wet. “You Glasachs’ are going to be the death of me yet.”

And then he opened the door.

Relief and gratitude washed through me. My hands trembled as I saluted Davot before stepping through the door.

“Thank you, Davot! Oh, there are two more with me.”

Before the guard could respond Shanah and Lanah slipped into the hallway.

Davot frowned. “Are you girls up to no good again?”

“That depends on which side you’re on,” Lanah responded.

“There are no sides, Princess. We all support the Kingdom.”

“I wish all men were as good as you, Davot,” Shanah said. “But I’m worried tonight you are wrong.”

“Where are you going?” Davot asked.

“To the forge. That is the last place I saw Lid.”

“Lead on, then,” Davot said. “The sooner this is over, the sooner I can start my prison sentence, and now with the princesses involved, whatever goes wrong will go extra hard on me.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Davot had risked a lot by opening the door.

I gave the guard a nod of sympathy.

Lanah covered the bucket of shakers and the hallway turned completely black. Even my vision darkened. The girls both produced shakers that barely produced any light. We stood in the mostly dark hallway and waited a moment for our eyes to adjust.

“Are those broke?” I asked.

Shanah handed me hers. “We borrowed them from the chemist. They were supposed to get fixed, but we like them this way. Easier to sneak around.”

“Do you two sneak around a lot?” I asked.

Davot snorted and Shanah frowned at him.

“I wouldn’t say a lot,” Shanah replied.

“But enough to have special shakers?” I asked.

“Focus, dumb-dumb, we’re here for your weapon, remember,” Lanah said.

I led the way, the light from the shakers more than enough for me. Shanah followed and held my right shoulder. Lanah held Shanah’s shoulder and Davot brought up the rear. I strode forward, anxious to get to the forge now that we were inside.

It took a few minutes to reach the grey door.

“On the way back, I want to talk with Wuk,” Shanah said. “She’ll want to know what has happened.”

“That’s a good idea,” I said.

I turned left and after a minute the tunnel brightened.

“There’s light ahead,” I said.

We slowed and as we approached the final bend in the tunnel Shanah pulled on my shoulder and stopped me. She pulled a small mirror from her pocket and crawled to the bend on her stomach.

Shanah held the mirror at ground level and angled it so she could see down the hallway. A moment later she returned. We all placed our heads together and Shanah whispered.

“Two Seekers,” Shanah whispered. “Part of Gavyn’s troop. They won’t let us pass.”

“I could ask,” Davot said. “I’m sure we can clear all this up by talking with Gavyn.”

The twins locked gazes and Shanah nodded.

Lanah put a hand on Davot’s shoulder. “You might be right. And if you are, I’m sorry about what happens next. We’ll take all the responsibility for it.”

“What are you talking about?” Davot asked.

“It’s probably better if you two stay here,” Shanah said.

Shanah and Lanah turned and strode around the bend. Davot and I looked at each other and quickly followed. The sisters had almost reached the pair of Seekers guarding the forge’s door.

 “Oh, I’m glad we have help,” Lanah said.

The Seekers each gave a small bow and the one on the left spoke.

“I’m sorry, Princess, but the forge is closed tonight,” the scribe said.

“I left a gift for my dad, the King, in there,” Lanah said and then pointed at Davot and I. “They’re here to carry it.”

The Seeker rubbed his hands on his pants. “I’m sorry, Princess, but this room is off limits tonight. You can come back in the morning.”

“That is not acceptable, and we will enter now,” Lanah said as both women stepped closer.

“Master Gavyn has ordered us to keep the floor clear, Your Highness,” the Seeker on the right said.

The twins stepped forward again each now in front of a different Seeker and only an arm’s length away. The Seekers were clearly nervous.

“Do you think Gavyn’s orders will matter to our parents?” Shanah asked.

The Seeker on the right swallowed hard. “I’m truly sorry Princess, but Master Gavyn made it very clear.”

The sisters looked at each other.

“We tried,” Shanah said.

“It gets serious from here,” Lanah responded.

Shanah glanced at me and then back at her sister. “It already is. Do it.”

As one, the sisters pulled their hands from their pockets and threw brown dust into each man’s eyes. Then they quickly stepped back.

Both men collapsed to the ground. The girls stepped forward and cleaned their hands on the Seekers’ shirts.

“What have you done?” Davot hissed.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Mostly a mushroom the stable master feeds injured horses,” Shanah said.

“It’s a sleeping powder I learned from a book in the library above us,” Lanah added.

Davot knelt and felt the neck of each man. “Well, at least you didn’t kill them.”

“Will they be okay?” I asked.

“Probably,” Lanah said.

“What!” I said in disbelief.

“They’ll be fine,” Shanah stated. “They might wake up with a headache.”

“If they wake up at all,” Lanah whispered.

I looked from one sister to the other, not sure who to believe.

Shanah glared at her sister. “Can you be serious?”

“What’s the point if you aren’t having fun?” Lanah asked.

“You think this is fun?” I asked.

Lanah shrugged and her eyes glazed over. She focused on Shanah and pointed at the door. “There’s a lot of power coming from in there.”

“Is it Lid?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but there are two for sure.”

Davot turned to me. “What’s your plan now? Assaulting these men has complicated things.”

“The plan is the same. I’m getting my friend back.”

I stepped past the unconscious guards, opened the door, and strode into the forge.

Chapter 28

Three people occupied the room. Gavyn stood behind the large table and directly across from the door. On his right Yulth sat in a chair holding Lylly who trembled uncontrollably. Three open sword boxes sat on the table in front of Gavyn, but I couldn’t see inside them.

I stopped short. “What did you do to Lylly?”

Shanah, Lanah, and Davot entered behind me. Gavyn tensed, but when he saw only the four of us, he relaxed.

Gavyn didn’t even look at Lylly. “She’s a sacrifice for the greater good.”

“She’ll recover,” Yulth said but doubt filled her voice.

Shanah leaned forward and whispered. “Can we discuss a plan next time? You think about trivial things too much while ignoring the critical.”

“Where’s Lid?” I asked.

“Lid?” Gavyn replied.

I took a step forward. “My weapon.”

Gavyn glanced at Davot. “I told you to keep people out, not bring them to me.”

Davot cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. The boy convinced me you planned to destroy his weapon. I brought him here to prove his worries were foolish.”

Gavyn looked back and forth between the twins. “Interesting. Why are you two here?”

“Helping a friend,” Shanah replied.

Lylly gasped and let out a long groan. Yulth held Lylly tight and gently rocked her. Gavyn ignored them.

“The boy’s been here three days,” Gavyn said. “How good a friend can he be? This seems reckless, even for you two.” Gavyn tilted his head and then focused on Shanah. “What did she tell you?”

“Nothing!” Shanah said a little too loudly.

I half turned to face Shanah. “Who’s he talking about?”

“Did she tell you to help him?” Gavyn asked.

Shanah looked down and didn’t respond.

“What’s he talking about?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Shanah whispered, “let’s get Lid and Lylly and get out of here,”

“What else did Wuk’Glea tell you?” Gavyn asked. “Did she figure out my plans? Such a clever girl that sword.”

And suddenly it all made sense. Why the twins had been nice to me. Why they’d spent time with me and helped me. It hadn’t been because they liked me or believed in me. Shanah’s sword, the Oracle, had told her to, and she’d followed orders.

My realization must have shown on my face because Gavyn laughed.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at Shanah. “Is that true?”

“Some of it, maybe at the beginning, but not now,” Shanah whispered.

It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I should have figured that out on my own. It was obvious now. It had never really made sense why Shanah had singled me out but the idea of a Princess liking me had blinded me to the facts. I concentrated on Gavyn.

Gavyn pointed at Shanah. “Just like all the bonded, she’s a slave to her weapon. The weapons decide who to bond with. The weapons tell their bonded what to do. The weapons have all the power, but I’m going to change that.”

“What are you talking about?” Davot asked. “The weapons keep us safe.”

“I used to think that too,” Gavyn said. He snapped his fingers near his temple. “And then a question occurred to me. Month after month I sit through the bonding ceremony. Hundreds of powerful weapons sitting useless in the Hall. The kids are all eager for a bond. So, why aren’t the weapons bonding?”

“No one knows,” Davot replied.

“Maybe, but I decided the why didn’t matter anymore. With just a small portion of the weapons in that Hall, we could end every war within a year. Imagine that, Davot. Peace.”

“What does all that nonsense have to do with Lid?” Lanah asked.

“Always to the point, Lanah. You will make an excellent Seeker. We have Cevin to thank, actually. All my plans teetered on the brink of failure and then Cevin arrives and literally saves the day. Saves the Kingdom actually. None of this would be possible without him.”

I looked from Gavyn to the trembling Lylly. “What? I didn’t do anything. And you’re killing Lylly.”

Gavyn glanced at Lylly. “Ah yes, it’s true. I needed her, too. Well, I needed Hal’yorn actually.”

Pieces fell into place. Hal’yorn’s ability to control people. Gavyn’s desire to force weapons to bond. Lylly’s exhaustion and her hatred of the scribes.

“You’re using Hal’yorn to control its own kind. To control other weapons. But how does that involve me?”

“The Council wasn’t thrilled about my methods, but they allowed me to experiment. It didn’t take long to discover a huge problem—how would we know if the forced bond had worked.”

And like a thunderclap I knew. I understood why Lylly’s terrible state was my fault and how Gavyn had sped up his plans.

It was all my fault.

“No,” I whispered.

Gavyn looked down at the boxes in front of him. “In the Hall of Glory, when you showed Yulth how to heal me after I touched your bonded weapon, I knew the world had changed forever.”

Gavyn took the box on the right and held it in front of Lylly. She removed Hal’yorn and hugged it to her chest. Gavyn returned the box to the table and placed a hand on the leftmost container.

“Then, as if your healing technique wasn’t enough, you showed us your weapon. A weapon made of metal identical to the broken Trah’Vadha. And it all made sense.”

Gavyn closed the box, and with a sudden push, slid it across the table.

“Lid?” I asked.

Gavyn didn’t answer. Instead, he stared down into the open box in front of him.

My hands shook as I reached for the container in front of me.

Gavyn stared reverently at whatever lay in front of him. “I realized three things as I knelt in the Hall of Glory three days ago. First, I could now force every weapon in that hall to bond. Second, thanks to the secret recovery method you revealed I could safely test those bonds. Now we had the tools to build an unstoppable army.”

Gavyn’s eyes widened and he looked fanatical. He continued in a whisper. “This Kingdom has suffered under weak leadership. They’d welcome a new leader if he wielded a great symbol of power.”

“Lid?” I asked.

Lid, are you there?

I slowly opened the box.

It was empty.

I looked up as Gavyn removed a sword from the box in front of him. His face had twisted in pain, but he held the sword high.

Trah’Vadha. And it was whole.

I glanced down at the empty case in front of me again. “Lid?” I whispered.

Then in fear I screamed. “Lid!”

“I will end the wars,” Gavyn intoned. “I will crush our enemies. Trah’Vadha is my authority, and all will bow to me.”

Hal’yorn vibrated so hard it sliced Lylly’s chest and she groaned in pain.

I pointed at Gavyn but yelled at Yulth. “Hal’yorn is controlling him. Can’t you see it?” I focused on the sword that Lylly clutched despite the blood covering her chest. “Did you kill Lid?” I screamed.

Gavyn spoke for Hal’yorn. “My Kingdom thanks you for your sacrifice.”

My vision blurred. Gavyn’s obsession had given Hal’yorn all the opening it needed. Trah’Vadha despite its power, had lain broken, making it another easy target for Hal’yorn’s power. Lylly’s sword now controlled both Gavyn and Trah’Vadha.

Gavyn’s obsession, and Hal’yorn’s desire to control had combined and resulted in the death of Lid. They. Had. Killed. My. Friend.

I picked up the empty box, threw it at Gavyn, and jumped onto the table.

Screaming I charged at the man who’d murdered Lid.

Gavyn knocked the box away and swung Trah’Vadha at me. I slid the last few feet and crashed into him.

Grabbing the hilt of Trah’Vadha, I tried to push the sword away. We stumbled away from Yulth and Lylly, and Gavyn, with his greater strength, pinned me between the forge and wall.

“Yulth, Gavyn’s possessed,” I yelled. “Help me! Seal Hal’yorn in a box!”

The hand that touched Trah’Vadha’s hilt had gone numb, like it had fallen asleep. A howling wind ripped through my mind, its voice intelligent and angry.

The pain enraged me, and like wind on a fire, my mind erupted. The numbness quickly turned to agony and it crawled up my arm, static electricity raising the hair on my body.

A star appeared in my mind, just like the one Mom had drawn a hundred times in the sand with a stick, moonlight making her eyes appear like two raging fires, her voice echoing inside my head.

I screamed at Trah’Vadha and at Hal’yorn who possessed the royal sword. Mom’s words became my own.

The snows of Hif’Wa Bren.

My mind, a blizzard.

Like the mountain snow, I freeze.

Freeze like Hif’Wa Bren.

The pain in my arm faded, trapped in the cold grip of Hif’Wa Bren. Hanging on the outside of the Sword Pillar I’d panicked and drawn all the energy from my body. This time I used the brightness of the rune in my mind to control the power’s flow, and only used enough to numb the pain the sword caused.

I pushed Trah’Vadha, my arm covered in ice, and the sword’s lightning arced across my body like a living thing. Gavyn and Hal’yorn had killed Lid, and I would make them pay.

“Yulth!” I yelled. “Seal it!”

Yulth’s frantic voice replied. “She won’t let go.”

“Carry her to the big room,” Shanah yelled.

“No one leaves this room,” Gavyn screamed, Hal’yorn making his voice a command that couldn’t be resisted.

Gavyn pushed Trah’Vadha’s hilt toward my face, and as the rune in my mind faded, I noticed a depression just under the handguard, where a melted Lid had squished out as the hilt was inserted.

A perfect hexagon, the exact shape of the one in my pocket.

With a sudden surge Gavyn smashed the hilt into my temple and the world went black.

Chapter 29

My cheek burned, and I tried to open my eyes.

“You shouldn’t slap him,” Shanah said. “He just took a blow to the head.”

“Fine, but we both know sleeping is bad for a concussion,” Lanah replied.

“His nose stopped bleeding,” Davot said.

A pounding headache forced me awake. The floor against my back felt cold, hard, and uneven. I opened my eyes to see a rock ceiling. Was I in a cave? My body felt like someone had spent an hour pinching every part of it and the pain made my eyes water.

Lid?

He didn’t answer.

I moaned as memories of the forge room returned. Had I really grabbed Trah’Vadha? I rolled to my side and tried to get to my knees, but the dizziness stopped me.

Shanah pushed me back. “Just lay down. There’s nowhere to go.”

“Where are we?” I asked.

“We’re under the Archive Tower in a locked storeroom,” Davot said.

The fog in my head cleared.

I had caused all this. Lid being melted. Lylly’s terrible state. It had originated from my actions. All of it. And Shanah didn’t really like me. She was only doing what her sword told her to do.

I reached down and pressed my hand against my pocket. The hexagon disk Lid had given me was still there. A perfect fit for the depression under Trah’Vadha’s hilt.

“Can we get out?” I asked.

“No, we’ve already tried,” Davot replied.

I needed to get back to Trah’Vadha and place the hexagon disk in the hilt. I pushed myself up and this time succeeded.

Twice I had used the runes Mom had taught me. The second time I had even controlled it enough to avoid exhaustion. I could use Shag’la Rath and destroy the door. I’d used it yesterday, so I knew I could do it.

I placed my hands on the oak door and took three deep breaths. I pictured the three half circles in my mind and recited the words mentally.

The dunes of Shag’la Rath.

My body, grains of sand.

Like the desert, I burn.

Burn like Shag’la Rath.

Nothing happened.

I took another three breaths. Then another three. This time I said the words out loud.

Nothing.

Why wouldn’t it work? I had gotten the ice rune to work in the forge. What was I missing?

I pounded on the door until Shanah grabbed me and pulled me back to the wall.

My nose throbbed, and I gently rubbed it. “What happened?”

“You blocked a sword hilt with your face,” Lanah said.

“Lanah, please,” Shanah whispered.

“Well, he did. He’s not the brightest star.”

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“Less than an hour,” Shanah replied.

Davot walked over to me. “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you,” Davot said and then forced my right eye open with his fingers. He held one of the dim shakers in front of my eye and then did the same to the other. “You’re lucky. Your brain seems okay.”

“There’s no brain in there to hurt,” Lanah said and then patted my arm. “I’m glad you’re okay dumb-dumb. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

Davot held up the shaker. “Do I need to check your brain too?”

Lanah crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Davot shook his head and sat next to me.

“You’ve been unconscious a long time,” Shanah said. “I was really getting worried.”

“Why?” I asked. “Did Wuk tell you to?”

I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. But the hurt swirled around my thoughts making it hard to think clearly.

“I’m sorry you’re upset,” Shanah said. “But you don’t even have the facts. And you haven’t asked for them. You aren’t being a good friend either.”

Anger roared to life making it hard to think. How could she accuse me of not being a friend when she had betrayed me. She’d pretended this whole time.

Following Mom’s training I took three deep breaths, trying to control the powerful emotions I felt. Why did she affect me this way? Had I overreacted? Wuk’Glea had been wielded by the Hero of Jasper Pass. Wouldn’t I have done what it told me, too?

“What are the facts?” I asked.

“One, you are really –” Lanah started.

“Lanah, not now,” Shanah said, interrupting her sister. Shanah sat cross-legged next to me. “It’s true. Wuk told me you were important, and that I should help you.”

“Help me? Do what? I’m a nobody.”

“She didn’t say. But after I learned who you were it made more sense.”

“Who I am? You mean my dad and whatever happened at Jasper?”

Shanah nodded. “That’s part of it. Listen, it’s true she told me those things, but after what happened with Flasker, I’d already figured out what kind of person you were. I came back that next morning to check on you. I hadn’t even told Wuk about you yet. No one forced me to do anything.”

“Wuk’Glea wants you to help Cevin?” Davot asked.

Shanah nodded.

“I feel like part of me never left that Pass,” Davot mumbled.

My dad had lied and kept information from me. Something important had happened to him at Jasper. He never talked about the war or about the sword he wielded there. I’d known he’d bonded to a weapon since I turned eight.

On my birthday he’d unlocked a chest in his room, had pointed at a sword in a plain sheath, and warned me never to touch it. That if I did, it would kill me where I stood. I never even knew the black hilted sword’s name.

Davot leaned his head against the rock wall. “It’s not like the songs, you know.”

“There’s more than one?” I asked.

Davot frowned at me. “How could you of all people ask that?”

I sat up. “Growing up I was told there were no books or songs about Jasper Pass. Only the one song my father taught me.” I nodded at Shanah. “When I sang a little for Shanah she didn’t recognize it.”

“What do you think happened there?” Davot asked.

“Alfhyld, through her bravery and sacrifice, closed the only route between our Kingdom and Crimarth, protecting us from their larger army. An entire mountain was destroyed in the process. Alfhyld is the Hero of Jasper Pass.”

“Well, that’s a new one,” Lanah said.

“That sounds like your father’s story,” Davot said reverently. “It’s all he said for weeks after Jasper.”

Shanah looked at Davot. “Why would he say that?”

Davot shrugged. “Humbleness, guilt, sadness, take your pick. More than a mountain was destroyed that day.”

“What are you all talking about? I’m tired of not knowing.”

“It’s not like it’s a secret,” Lanah said.

Davot sighed. “Well there wasn’t any shining lights, or clouds parting, or any of that nonsense like in the songs. There was confusion and screaming and despair.”

Davot paused, and I worried he might be done. I forced myself to breathe, but the air felt thick.

“We sat trapped, deep in the pass, arrows falling around us like rain, and we all knew our deaths had arrived. Then your dad appeared. I can still feel the sound of it. My teeth ache remembering it.”

Davot closed his eyes.

“Your dad argued with Captain Jase and—”

“The Commander Jase that hates me?”

Davot shook his head. “No, his daughter, Alfhyld.”

An uneasy feeling swirled in my chest.

“Your dad had a plan and demanded we all retreat. Captain Jase sent us all out, but the Captain outranked your dad, and she wouldn’t leave. I thought they might fight each other.”

“How could you survive a retreat with archers above you?” I asked.

“Rrym'nar Erl,” Davot said, his voice solemn.

Shanah had mentioned that sword yesterday. She’d called it the Black Sword.

“I don’t know it.”

Davot’s eyes widened.

“That’s not possible,” Shanah whispered.

I gritted my teeth and cursed my parents for purposely keeping me ignorant.

“My dad said Wuk’Glea and Alfhyld saved everyone that day,” I repeated.

I remembered the black hilt of the sword in my dad’s chest. How everyone reacted when they heard his name. That the Lore Master was scared my dad would destroy the entire city if I was harmed. How Commander Jase hated my father and wanted me out of the Academy. A picture formed in my mind.

“Alfhyld and Wuk’Glea didn’t destroy the mountain,” I stated.

“No, your father did,” Davot replied.

“How?”

“Rrym'nar Erl formed a shield over us of pure sound, the arrows vibrated to dust before they hit the ground. The ash filled the air like fog.”

Davot paused and swallowed a few times. “The last thing I saw before the ash blocked them from view, was your dad and Captain Jase striding deeper into the pass, the Black Sword held high in the air.”

“But why would he lie to me? He said Alfhyld was the hero.”

“That’s what your dad said to anyone that would listen. He said Alfhyld had made the victory possible, had died for it, but it didn’t matter, they still called your dad the hero.”

I choked and coughed. Dad had bound a powerful magic sword. People sang songs written about him and he’d never told me. Just one more way he’d pushed me away. I bet all my siblings knew. And Mom, too. The only person ignorant of Dad’s famous sword was the son he never wanted to train. My family didn’t think I was important enough to be told the truth.

After the last three days, I didn’t think I could feel any worse, but I was wrong.

Chapter 30

The lock rattled and the door swung open. Shadows danced around the room from the shaker in Yulth’s trembling hand.

“You’ve all got to leave,” Yulth said.

Everyone stood and entered the hallway. Yulth was already striding away, and we all jogged to catch up.

“What’s happening, Yulth?” Davot asked.

“Gavyn has gone crazy. He’s taken Lylly to the meeting with the Council.”

“Why are you so worried?” Shanah asked.

Yulth stopped, and I noticed blood matted her hair. “He’s snapped. He doesn’t believe anyone is serious about ending the wars, and plans on changing that by taking charge.”

“Of the Archive Tower?” Lanah asked.

“Of the Kingdom,” Yulth said.

“Do you think our parents are in danger?” Shanah asked.

“Your parents can protect themselves. I’m worried that if Gavyn doesn’t get his way, he will use you as leverage. Davot, you must get them to safety.”

“Are you okay, Yulth?” Shanah asked pointing to Yulth’s bloody hair.

Yulth briefly touched the hidden wound. “I tried forcing Gavyn into the shielded room, but he overpowered me.”

“Where is Wuk?” Shanah asked. “Can I get her?”

“Gavyn has taken all the weapons back to the Hall of Glory. He has his Seekers guarding them. He plans to…force all the weapons to bond with his people after he deals with the Council.”

“Will he really attack the Council?” Shanah asked.

“Hal’yorn is in control, and it seems eager to increase its power. I tried telling him his mind wasn’t his own, but Hal’yorn attacked my thoughts. Lylly saved me, but it took all her energy. I barely escaped.”

Yulth wrung her hands. “I’m sorry I let this go on for so long. His goal was noble, and the dream of peace blinded me, but Hal’yorn has twisted those goals for its own ends. Poor Lylly. We need to escape.”

Yulth turned and jogged down the dark hallway. We all followed and a minute later we exited by the metal door and stepped into the night air.

I fingered the hexagon disk in my pocket. It was meant to go into the indentation on the hilt of Trah’Vadha. But Gavyn had the sword and Yulth had freed us so we could escape.

I thought of Lylly and what she’d survived already. If Hal’yorn used Lylly to force weapon bonds onto all Gavyn’s Seekers it would turn her mind to mush. The sword didn’t care, and probably preferred it. Lylly’s current situation was partly my fault, and Lid had trusted me to bring him back. And now I knew how.

“You need to run –” Yulth started.

“I know,” I replied.

Then I turned and sprinted toward the Palace. Everyone shouted at me to stop, but I ignored them. It wasn’t until I approached the Palace grounds that I slowed. Half a minute later Shanah and Lanah came up beside me, and I stopped to talk to them.

“Whatever you’re planning you better hurry,” Shanah said. “Davot is fast for an old guy. He isn’t far behind us.”

I turned and searched for Davot but didn’t see him. Either he wasn’t as fast as Shanah thought, or he didn’t follow us.

“What’s your plan?” Lanah asked.

“I’m going to take Tra’Vadha from Gavyn and bring Lid back,” I said.

“Are you joking?” Shanah asked.

“Simple, I like it,” Lanah said.

“You just got knocked out,” Shanah said. “You can’t be that –”

“I know,” I said, interrupting her. “But I only need a second this time. I know what I’m doing.”

“I doubt that,” Shanah muttered.

“The palace guards will listen to you. We won’t be alone.”

“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said,” Shanah replied.

The three of us sprinted to the large building where the Council chamber was located.

“All the guards are missing,” Lanah said.

“This way,” Shanah whispered.

Instead of going through the large double doors we ran to the side and entered through a normal door.

“Staff entrance,” Lanah said.

We entered a dark hallway, and I strode forward until the hallway ended in a larger one.

“The Council chamber is just to the left,” Shanah whispered.

I peered to the left, easing my head around the corner. A large man stood in front of the chamber’s double doors. He wore silver and I could see the eye stained on his forehead. One of Gavyn’s Seekers. Six guards lay in a neat row just past the doors. A few of them twitched, like they were having a nightmare.

That meant Gavyn didn’t plan on talking. It meant everyone was in danger, and I needed to get into that room quickly and get Lid inserted into Trah’Vadha’s hilt. A room full of people who also wanted to stop Gavyn would make that easier.

“We need to get rid of the big guy,” I said.

“I’ll do it,” Lanah said. “I’ll loop around and meet you.”

“Wait –” Shanah started but it was too late.

Lanah stepped out into the hall.

“What happened to those guards?” Lanah shouted and then ran down the hallway away from the large Seeker.

Heavy footsteps approached us and then the Seeker came into view. Instead of running past he slowed and looked directly at me.

“What do we have here?” the Seeker asked and reached out to grab me.

I needed to get past this man. If there was any hope of saving Lid and maybe the Council members as well, I needed to act.

Lanah had shown me that I’d spent most of my life training to handle a situation just like this. The moves to handle this Seeker were clear in my head. I had done them a thousand times. So, I did them once more.

I moved my right leg behind the man using Shifting Sand, turned into his body and under his arm with Sleeping Frog, and swept his leg with Skipping Stone. As the Seeker’s body fell, I turned my hips, pinned his wrist to my chest, and slammed his head into the wall.

The man went limp, and I let him go. He fell to the ground unconscious, but his chest still moved with even breaths. He’d have a terrible headache when he woke up.

Lanah came back into view. “Nice job.”

“Let’s go,” I said and ran for the doors.