Chapter 6 #2
Ramad was currently speaking in Old Imperial to the older person. “Chancellor, I cannot show you a written warrant of authority from the Rising World council, because as you very well know, the Well of Thosaren’s message devices do not supply paper documents.”
Flanking Ramad were two Immortal Blessed. The surprise, the cold wash of shock, was that Arnsterath stood with them.
Through Ziede’s pearl came a wave of emotion like an unvoiced snarl.
Arnsterath wore the same body, with light-brown skin, straight nose, and thin lips, her dark hair held in a loose braid.
Her clothes were light-colored linen meant for travel, in the same style as the two Immortal Blessed, a knee-length split tunic and close-fitting pants.
The Arike coat she wore over it was too big for her, and plain except for the embroidery on the hems, probably borrowed from the cohort post.
With the air of someone who had taken a position and had no intention of budging from it, the Chancellor said, “You arrive out of nowhere, you claim to have the authority of the alliance, at a time when rumors of conspiracies and Benais-arik’s imperial ambitions—” She broke off to stare at Kai. “Who is this?”
Ramad glanced up and froze. Arnsterath’s dark gaze went to Kai and she smiled, a small satisfied upturn of the lips.
Kai said, “I am doing you the courtesy of allowing you one chance at an explanation.” It had been a long time since he had actually trembled with rage, but he was doing it now.
The room was very quiet suddenly. Instinct warning even the mortals that they were in the presence of something dangerous.
Ramad held up his hands, like someone trying to forestall an argument, or a calamity. “Arnsterath has surrendered to the Rising World.”
Kai wasn’t certain what expression his face was making but it made his jaw hurt. One of the Immortal Blessed put a hand on their sword hilt.
Undeterred, Ramad continued, “From the beginning, then. I went to the cohort post downriver from where you left me, and sent a messenger ahead to Benais-arik. Then I took a detachment back toward the Summer Halls to see if any of the conspirators had survived. On the way we were joined by an ascension raft with these two Immortal Blessed. They had been sent by their Rising World envoy to help with the search for Tahren Stargard and apprehend any Blessed who had been involved in her disappearance. We found Arnsterath on the road and she agreed to submit to our custody.”
In Kai’s head, Ziede’s furious voice said, Of course she shitting did, just like she agreed to submit to all those dead conspirators.
Kai grated out, “And what did you offer her in exchange for her cooperation? The next expositor you catch?”
“She has sworn to take no familiar, even if it means she can no longer use intentions.” Ramad glanced at her, his expression turning grim. “She knew she had no choice.”
Kai didn’t laugh. “She’s always had a choice.”
Arnsterath’s expression betrayed nothing. Some mortals said a demon’s gaze was “soulless,” as if souls lived in the pupil of the eye. Facing Arnsterath, Kai felt less uncharitable toward that superstition.
“I too had a choice,” Ramad countered. “I meant to resign my service, but when my Immortal Blessed companions contacted Benais-arik through the Well of Thosaren on their raft, we were told about this situation…” He gestured back toward the scholars gathered in the room, all watching the conversation with different degrees of confusion and alarm.
“And we were ordered here to investigate and provide assistance.” He added more self-consciously, “I decided to wait, to help if possible, before resigning.”
Both Immortal Marshalls were young, which was more apparent in their lean builds than in their unlined faces. Using the Blessed language, one said, “Apost—Former Marshall Tahren. I am Rafiem and this is Eleni, we are Acolytes Major to Marshall Sodor Targildsun, speaker to—”
“I don’t care,” Tahren replied evenly, in Old Imperial.
“That is Tahren Stargard,” the Chancellor said, as if grasping at the one fact that seemed certain.
Rafiem and Eleni had the audacity to look startled, as if they hadn’t expected a mortal scholar to understand, or even pick out Tahren’s name.
The Chancellor turned back to Ramad accusingly. “You told me she was missing.”
“Obviously she has been found,” Ramad said, his voice betraying just a hint of irritation. “This is Kaiisteron, Fourth Prince of the underearth, called Witch King, and Sister Ziede Daiyahah, Scourge of the Temple Halls. This is Domtellan, she is Chancellor of Ancartre’s Scholars Archive.”
Her voice cold and calm, Ziede said, “Chancellor, we came here from the house of the Tescai-lin, in answer to your request for assistance. We had come to Belith to meet with you, after hearing about your expedition’s findings. I think you understand our concerns.”
“I do, of course. The Tescai-lin—” Chancellor Domtellan began.
Then Dahin strode in and plopped his bag on the nearest worktable. “We’ve been told that you’ve uncovered artifacts, including one you identified as the badge of a Hierarch’s expositor. Can you tell me where it was found?”
It was done with such calm confidence, one of the Belith picked up a rolled map case and started toward the table.
The Chancellor held up a hand. “I ask you wait.” Her brow furrowed but she was much calmer about all this than Kai. If Ramad had expected to bully his way into taking charge, he had picked the wrong bureaucrat. “Are you a scholar?”
Etem stepped forward from the doorway and said, “Chancellor, this is Lesser Blessed Dahin Stargard, who is an accomplished historian.”
Dahin turned and said in polite formal Belithan, “Yes, I am as Doorkeeper Etem says, and have been working on a theory relating to your expedition’s endeavors. I felt it was past time we combined our efforts.”
The Chancellor was immediately mollified. “Then please continue.” Her sideways glance at Ramad was arch. “All who seek knowledge are welcome here.”
Through a haze of rage, Kai noted Dahin’s ability to behave with perfect courtesy if he thought it would get him what he wanted. He said, “Dahin.”
His tone of voice must have gotten the message across.
Dahin left the table and came to stand close to Kai.
He took Kai’s arm and said, low-voiced, “I know, I know, but he couldn’t have followed us, so he must have been sent here as he says, and he couldn’t leave her roaming loose.
We came here to help these people and find out what’s lurking above Sun-Ar.
The two of them being here changes nothing. ”
Kai, he’s right, Ziede said through her pearl.
Kai managed to unclench his jaw. He said, “Don’t let her get near you.”
It was an unnecessary warning, but Dahin just squeezed Kai’s arm before he returned to the table and motioned the scholar with the map forward.
The Chancellor watched the interaction with a faint thoughtful frown, but said to Ramad, “Strange how one party comes with nothing but weapons and a prisoner, the other comes with well-known names and a noted scholar, and the support of the Tescai-lin.”
Ramad didn’t allow any frustration to show.
The skin under his eyes was bruised, probably from lack of sleep.
It was hard enough to sleep on an ascension raft; sleeping on an ascension raft knowing Arnsterath was only paces away had to be nearly impossible.
Ramad said, “Chancellor, I am perfectly willing to share this inquiry with Fourth Prince and his family, who are obviously more qualified—”
“And who is that?” It was Arnsterath’s voice, quiet but somehow seizing attention.
Kai didn’t need to glance back. Tenes had come in with Etem. Kai answered, “That’s Sister Tenes, the Witch who broke the Summer Halls again and caused the flood that foiled all your master’s plans.”
Surprisingly, Arnsterath’s left eyelid twitched. “He was not my master.”
The Immortal Blessed Rafiem shifted his staff, not pointing it at her, just a reminder that it was there. It was an Immortal Blessed weapon, though Kai didn’t recognize it. Rafiem said, “You can speak your evidence to the Rising World council, not here.”
Chancellor Domtellan grimaced in distaste. “This is all very disruptive. Vanguarder Ramad, would you take your charge, and your Immortal Blessed, and please go away?”
“No, Chancellor Domtellan, as I said before, I will not.” Ramad was still apparently calm but the strain showed around the set of his mouth. “And Arnsterath is not a prisoner, she is cooperating voluntarily with the Rising World council’s investigation.”
“Cooperating voluntarily,” Kai said, making his voice cold and ironic. “That’s why your Immortal Blessed have a weapon that would fell a wallwalker, let alone a demon.”
Rafiem didn’t react except to press his lips together, but Eleni moved a hand to the covered bag at her side.
Kai thought he had recognized the curve of the stock that shaped the light material.
It would have been foolish to go after Arnsterath without something stronger than a curse-breaker, and it wasn’t something the Rising World Cohort post would have lying around.
And it was an indicator that the Immortal Marshalls had known exactly what they would be dealing with when they set out.
There were a number of reasons for that, the most innocuous that the Immortal Blessed faction of the conspiracy had unraveled in the Blessed Lands as well, and the Marshalls had been warned about Arnsterath.
Then Dahin said, “Kai, Ziede.”
Kai threw a look back to check that Tahren still stood in a deceptively relaxed stance, aware of every movement in the room and able to reach anyone who attempted violence in a heartbeat.
Tenes stood in the doorway beside Etem, wary and alert.
Kai went to the worktable Dahin had conscripted, beating Ziede by only a step.