Chapter Thirty-four #2
‘Easy, cousin,’ Dratos warned.
‘Easy? You want me to calm down when he’s just admitted to murdering our kin —’
‘It’s not like that,’ Thea argued.
But Gus was incensed, his shadows multiplying. Instantly, Cal and Kipp were on their feet, brandishing their swords.
‘Stand down,’ Cal ordered, his jaw set in determination, even as Gus’ shadows whipped around the perimeter of the room.
‘No! Not when you talk so casually of —’
‘Gus!’ Dratos shouted. ‘There’s an explanation.’
Darkness swelled in answer and a glass shattered.
The group erupted in anger – everyone suddenly on their feet and shouting at one another. Weapons were drawn, more glasses knocked over, shadows surging.
And then a crackling noise filled the air.
Bolts of lightning danced across the tabletop.
‘Enough,’ Thea commanded, bracing herself on the table’s edge.
Some jumped back from the electrical current. Others froze in place, staring in awe.
‘Enough,’ she said again, her magic pulsing in emphasis.
Everyone’s eyes were on her, Wilder’s included.
She was formidable.
Slowly, Dratos reached for his younger cousin and pulled him back down into his chair. ‘Hawthorne wrote to Anya and me. We knew of this,’ he said gently. ‘Hawthorne did what he could to end their suffering. I would want the same were I ever in their position. Do you understand?’
The tension ebbed away from the others gradually. Though Wilder’s chest ached, he grounded himself with the weight of Thea’s hand on his as everyone took a breath and sank back into their seats.
Gus gave his older cousin a hard look. ‘We were in that position once. Don’t think because I was young, I don’t remember,’ he said quietly. ‘And it was another Warsword who sought to end our lives, too. Thought we weren’t worth saving.’
‘And he was wrong,’ Adrienne retorted with a note of reprimand. ‘And that Warsword has fought for us ever since – has defended us, protected us and sought to make the world a safer place. Has he not?’
‘You’re not shadow-touched,’ Gus argued.
Anger flashed in Adrienne’s eyes and the youngster had the good sense to baulk. ‘You telling me I’m not family to you, Angus Castemont? Are you telling me that I haven’t fought for you like I would my own blood?’
A flush of shame crept across his face. ‘No,’ he murmured.
‘Then that’s the fucking last we’ll hear of that,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘So much for not cursing…’ he had the balls to mutter.
Adrienne rounded on him. ‘When you’ve been the general of a rebel force for several years and you still have to deal with a little shadow brat, then you can curse.’
There was a sigh of frustration as Dratos drained the rest of his cup. ‘Told you not to bring him.’
‘Don’t even start me on you,’ Adrienne snapped.
‘Glad to know the rebels we’re potentially allying with are such a happy family,’ Torj said.
‘Least what you see is what you get, Bear Slayer,’ Dratos quipped before saluting Anya with a fresh cup of wine. ‘As you were.’
To her credit, Anya didn’t miss a beat; she continued her address as though there hadn’t been a familial spat midway through.
‘If you take our word and the word of your Warsword, and you believe that Artos is behind the poison running through the midrealms, then the next thing to question is: what does he want? ’
‘What he’s always wanted,’ Audra offered. ‘To unite the kingdoms under a single banner – his. And rule over the festering leftovers.’
‘Something like that,’ Anya agreed. ‘With the resources he’s put into “saving” Tver and helping with the rebuild of the castle, he’s already got it quite firmly in his grasp, whether King Leiko knows it or not.
Aveum is clearly his next mark, judging from the camps we’ve seen in its underbelly.
And now that Queen Reyna is in mourning, the kingdom is more vulnerable than ever. ’
‘Will your kind take responsibility for the arachne attack?’ Torj asked, teeth gritted.
‘It wasn’t us,’ Anya said coldly. ‘We are not to blame for every evil that spills into these lands. It was a diversion, created by Artos and his lackeys. There was something he wanted beyond the domes… Wasn’t there?’
Torj had the decency to flush. ‘While Vios was in disarray, reapers sent a unit of wraiths and howlers to the Pools of Purity. They attacked.’
Gasps and murmurs broke out across the room.
‘What are the Pools of Purity?’ Gus asked, brow furrowed.
‘They’re the source of the healing Aveum springwater,’ Wilder explained. ‘The same water Warswords are gifted a vial of after they’ve passed the Great Rite.’
Gus’ eyes widened.
‘The damage?’ Anya’s voice was devoid of emotion.
‘The Thezmarrian Guardians stationed there were able to defeat them, but the extent of the harm to the pools themselves is still unconfirmed,’ Torj reported.
‘There’s no doubt in my mind that some will have certainly been tainted, and that the reapers will send reinforcements. It won’t be the last time they attack.’
‘Do we know how they were tainted? With what substance?’ Wren’s soft voice sounded out of place amid the harsh words of war, but her questions settled over the group like a blanket.
‘We assumed some sort of shadow magic,’ Torj replied with an apologetic grimace. ‘The same poison they’ve been using to corrupt men into howlers, and infect other monsters with darkness. Why?’
Wren looked distant for a moment. ‘So it could be a different poison entirely?’
Torj frowned. ‘It could, but…’
Wren glanced across the table to Kipp, who seemed to be the only one whose mind was working in tandem with hers. He nodded in realisation.
‘When a Guardian becomes a Warsword…’ Wren ventured slowly, as though the ideas were still forming as she spoke. ‘Each of the kingdoms bestows a gift, yes?’
‘Yes,’ Torj confirmed.
‘Harenth’s gift is poison, correct?’
The Bear Slayer gave a shrug. ‘Yes, but that’s hardly —’
‘What does the poison do?’ she cut him off.
Torj’s brows shot up. His hand went to his pocket and he pulled out a small vial, placing it on the table before him with a perplexed expression. ‘I don’t actually know,’ he murmured. ‘I’ve never used it.’ He looked to Wilder. ‘Hawthorne?’
Wilder tensed. ‘Lost mine when I was taken prisoner. I’d never used it either.’
‘You both never used them?’ Wren said, clearly baffled. ‘Have you seen any other Warswords use them over the years?’
Torj’s cheeks tipped pink then. ‘No… Not now you mention it.’
‘Why is that, do you think? Surely it would have come in handy at some point in history?’ Wren pressed, raising a brow as though she had her suspicions.
‘Uhh…’
Don’t say it, you fool . But Wilder knew he couldn’t save Torj from himself.
‘I suppose there’s a feeling among Warswords… Why use poison when you can end a man with your blade or your hammer or your fists? It’s just that… Well, poison… It’s a woman’s weapon.’
Beside Wilder, Thea shook her head with disdain. ‘Idiot,’ she muttered, only loud enough for Wilder to hear.
Wren gave a derisive laugh. ‘You’re telling me that in all the years of Warswords fighting for the midrealms, none of you know what sort of poison Harenth gifts those blessed by the Furies?’
Torj looked as sheepish as Wilder felt when he answered: ‘Uh… none of us here.’
‘As much as I enjoy watching warriors squirm at the questioning of our alchemists,’ Audra mused, ‘perhaps you can get to the point, Elwren?’
Wren nodded. ‘My point is that if we could link the poison gifted to the Warswords from Harenth to whatever is tainting the Pools of Purity, then you’d have your proof about Artos.’
‘Or another Warsword,’ Adrienne added. ‘There’s one of you who’s not here, yes? The one with a reputation for cruelty and malice…’
Wilder groaned. ‘Not this again. Vernich is a bastard, to be sure, but he’s no fallen Warsword.’
Adrienne considered him. ‘Then where is he? Why haven’t you rallied him to our side? No doubt we could use someone called the Bloodletter.’
Raking his fingers through his hair, Wilder grimaced. ‘Vernich has always been difficult. Unpredictable.’
‘So you can’t trust him?’
‘I would hesitate to divulge the intricate plans of a rebellion to him, yes,’ Wilder admitted. ‘But he’s not aligned with the reapers. That much I’m sure of.’
‘If you say so.’ Anya didn’t look convinced. ‘Which means we come back to Artos, then. He caused the diversion and had his lackeys infect the pools.’
Silence followed. Several people shifted in their seats, while Kipp nodded enthusiastically at the far end of the table.
‘Why would they not just use shadows, then?’ Dratos blurted, ribbons of darkness flickering at his back.
Anya sighed. ‘I’m not sure. But Thea and Hawthorne said they felt empath magic at the prisoner camp… It seems unlikely to me that if Artos is behind it all, he’d leave everything in the control of others.’
‘How do we find out what the poison is, then?’ Cal asked.
Torj’s chair groaned beneath him as he leant forward and slid the vial across to Wren. ‘It’s yours.’
Wilder noticed the slight shake of Wren’s fingers as they closed around the vial.
‘I may not be able to give it back when I’m done,’ she said.
‘I’m sure you can do whatever you put your mind to,’ Torj replied. ‘But if that’s the case, so be it. Serves me right for not questioning it before.’
Audra took control of the meeting. ‘So, it’s settled. Elwren will investigate the poison and report back if it’s anything we can use to prove Artos’ part in all this.’
Wren looked to Farissa, her mentor, for approval before giving Audra a nod.
‘Good,’ the librarian said before motioning for Anya to continue.
Anya’s gaze shifted from Wren to Dratos. ‘You’ll have one of our shadow-touched see if they can find out more at the source, yes?’
Dratos made to stand. ‘I can go myself.’
But Anya stopped him with a subtle wave of her hand. ‘You’re needed here.’
He hesitated briefly, but sat back down with a nod.