Chapter Thirty-Eight
Liria
Morning came cold and harsh. Liria sat up and looked over at Thax, lying face-up on his cot beside her. One hand was on his chest, and the other stretched out to lay where she'd been. It closed as if sensing her abandonment. Despite the sad sight, Liria climbed off the cot and got dressed.
Outside, she could hear soldiers already moving about. Liria went to the little bathroom at the back corner of the tent, with its compostable toilet, shower, and sink. After doing her morning business, she came out to find Thax sitting up with his feet on the ground, frowning.
He looked up at her. “What should I do, destra?”
They had talked long into the night. The attack didn't sit well with either of them. Something was terribly wrong. It made no sense for the Nethren to shoot at those soldiers. No sense at all.
“We need to speak to General Caden.”
Thax sighed as he stood up. “I shouldn't have killed that man.”
“What man?”
“The Nethren spy.” Thax rubbed a hand over his face. “I was so angry. I reacted without thinking. He didn't deserve to die for spying. It was wrong.” He looked up at Liria. “Do you think they shot at our people because I killed that man?”
“No, I don't. I don't know what happened, but I don't think it's anything as simple as revenge.”
“I can't come up with anything that makes sense.”
Thax quickly got dressed and used the bathroom before they stepped out of the tent together.
The sun was up, soaking the fortress in orange light, and Nethren soldiers glared at them from the walls, through the shimmering ward.
It had come down briefly the night before, just for a few minutes, but nothing had happened.
The Nethren hadn't attacked, and the ward wasn't down long enough for Paradefense to do much either.
It was yet another nonsensical occurrence to bother Liria.
“Thaxvarien!” Evellor came striding up to them, his wings drooping and circles under his eyes.
“Are you well, Evellor?” Thax stopped and turned toward his friend. “You don't look so good.”
“Just tired. I didn't get much sleep.” He grimaced. “Do you know where Rallorival is?”
“I just emerged from my tent. Why?”
“We need to find him and bring him to the general.” Evellor looked around and then leaned in to whisper, “I believe he's the one who fired those shots on our people.”
“What?” Thax growled.
“Oh, sweet convergence,” Liria whispered. “That makes sense.”
Thax swung his head to look at her. “What do you mean? Why would Rallorival do that?”
“To get Lena away from the Nethren. He doesn't want peace. He wants my sister, and that asshole doesn't care who he hurts to get her!”
Thax blinked. “Holy shit. No, he's a good man. He wouldn't do that.”
“Those soldiers were unharmed,” Evellor said. “Not one mark. Rallorival is an excellent marksman, from what I've heard. Top of his class.”
“Fuck me,” Thax muttered. “How did you discover this?”
“I saw a weapon in his coat. A Nethren weapon.” Evellor glanced around again. “There he is! Hurry, we need to grab him before he gets rid of that thing.”
Liria and Thax hurried after Evellor, who strode quickly toward Rallorival, but didn't run. He was smart enough not to spook the man. Luckily, Rallorival didn't notice them until they were upon him.
Rallorival turned toward them with a smile. “Good morning.”
“Open your coat,” Thax growled.
“What?” Rallorival blanched.
Thax grabbed the sides of Rallorival's coat and jerked them apart. In a pocket on the right, the butt of a weapon showed. Thax moved to grab it, but Rallorival spun away. He spread his wings and jumped into the air.
Both Evellor and Thax followed, leaving Liria to watch from the ground, grinding her teeth in fury.
But they didn't go far. Without wings to hinder him, Thaxvarien's convergence sent him shooting up faster than any Aethari could fly.
He grabbed Rallorival in a chokehold and dragged him back to the ground, slamming him onto his back, wings still stretched wide as if they hadn't realized they had left the sky.
Evellor landed seconds later and helped Thax wrestle Rallorival to his feet and then bound his arms behind him with cuffs that Evellor happened to have on him.
Once Thax had Rallorival restrained, Evellor took the weapon from his coat.
Together, they muscled him to the general's tent. Releasing her jaw, Liria followed.
General Caden was already outside his tent, speaking with his assistant.
He turned as he heard the commotion. Rallorival's flight had caught the attention of several soldiers, and they tagged along, gathering more as they went through camp.
By the time they stopped before the general, word had spread, and a crowd circled them.
“He's the one who shot at our people.” Thax shoved Rallorival at the general, sending him to his knees. “Show him, Evellor.”
Evellor handed the general the weapon. “We found this on him, General. It's a Nethren weapon.”
“I took it from a Nethren prisoner!” Rallorival growled as he struggled to his feet. “So what? It doesn't mean I fired at our people.”
“You're the only one with any motive!” Liria glared at the Aethari as she stepped up to the general. “He wants to keep us at war so that we take Lena away from Commander Vor.”
The general frowned at the weapon. “This is a serious accusation.”
“Aethari do crazy things when we think we've found our destra,” Thax said.
“Lena is my destra!” Rallorival roared. “And you dare to order me away from her? You have your woman, but I'm not allowed mine?”
“Just admit what you did.” Thax met Rallorival's glare with his own.
“I admit I stole a weapon from a Nethren. That's all.”
“Hold on.” Liria searched the crowd. “Where are those friends of yours?”
“What?” Rallorival went still.
“Someone get me Aranhale, Surdrinvel, Vedanleru, Roddolkith, and Cirarlinaven!” Thax spun to search the Aethari faces in the crowd. “Bring them to me now!”
The crowd rustled as an Aethari woman jostled her way through the gathering and pushed to the front.
“You!” Liria pointed at the woman. “You captured a Nethren spy. But you, Rallorival, did not. So how did you get the weapon?”
The woman went pale, her dark wings drooping. She looked at Rallorival with obvious anxiety.
“All right, Cirarlinaven gave me the weapon,” Rallorival said. “But that's it. Neither of us had anything to do with the attack, and you can't prove otherwise.”
“Where are the rest of your friends?” Thax demanded.
Rallorival lifted his chin.
“Aranhale, Surdrinvel, Vedanleru, and Roddolkith come forward!” Thax shouted. “Now!”
Three Aethari men and one Aethari woman came out of the crowd to stand with Cirarlinaven. Their wings rustled nervously.
“Did any of you help Rallorival attack the freed prisoners?” Thax demanded.
They remained silent.
“You see? I have done nothing but take an enemy's weapon.” Rallorival lifted his wings confidently as he strode up to Thax, looking smug despite the fact that his hands were still bound behind his back. “You've accused me unfairly.”
Suddenly, Thaxvarien started to glow, light seeping from his skin and eyes. When he spoke, his voice was lower, more resonant, and full of power. “Rallorival Banvenarri, you are a twice a traitor!”
The camp fell silent, all eyes upon Thaxvarien.
He was a speaker, but unlike his father, Thax kept his will when the Sources filled his voice with their power.
He could sense their intent and accepted guidance from them, but he chose what he spoke.
And Thax also chose how much power he put into his words.
Rallorival stepped back, his mouth slack.
“I gave you a chance to redeem yourself, and you betrayed me again!” Thax lifted a glowing hand and pointed at Rallorival. “You have connived to destroy a growing peace, all for the lust of my sister. Do you understand the cost? Blood will be shed because of your selfishness. Confess!”
Rallorival fell to his knees and hunched in on himself.
“Confess! Tell the truth, traitor!”
“It was for her!” Rallorival shouted. “I did it for Lena.
To save her from those monsters. All of you were about to give up and make peace with them!
You would have sacrificed her for that peace.
I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to remind you that Nethren are evil. For Lena. It was all for her.” He looked up, his eyes pleading. “What would you do for Liria?”
“Anything,” Thax said as the glow left him and his voice returned to normal. “I would do anything for my destra. But Lena Drask is not your destra. Her future lies elsewhere.”
“Fucking Aethari bastard!” General Caden hissed. “Somebody get this asshole out of my sight before I kill him myself!”
A group of Medean men came forward, jerked Rallorival to his feet, and dragged him away.
“What about them?” Liria waved at Rallorival's friends. “They conspired with him.”
“Take them as well.” The general waved at the Aethari. “I have to speak to the Council before I decide on their punishment.”
“We are not your soldiers, you buffoon! You have no authority over us!” Cirarlinaven launched into the air.
The others followed her, flying off toward Thennis.
“Morons. If you commit treason in a war camp, it doesn't matter who you are.” The general sighed and motioned at some of the Aethari Paradefense soldiers.
The soldiers shot into the sky after the fleeing Aethari. The traitors wouldn't get far.
General Caden shook his head and looked up at the fortress. “Well, fuck.”
As the crowd dispersed and Aethari shouts came from the sky, someone barreled to the front of the crowd.
“I've done it!” Rinna shouted. “It's ready. The device is ready. We can bring down the ward.”
General Caden looked from Rinna to Thax and then to Liria. “Very well. We go in tonight.”
“Hold on!” Liria cried. “The Nethren are innocent. Aren't you going to speak to Commander Vor?”
“No.” The general grimaced. “We need to get our people free and resume control of the fortress again. When that's done, I will speak to the commander about peace.”
“There won't be peace after we attack them! They'll either be our prisoners or will retreat underground.”
“We've fought the Nethren for centuries.” General Caden sighed again as he stared at the fortress. “If they truly want peace, they will excuse our actions. Go prepare for tonight. Unless you wish to stay behind, Mrs. Rennux?” He lifted an eyebrow at her.
“No,” Liria grumbled. “You're not going in there without me.”