Chapter 89
The following day, the Sun rose like usual, mocking Aeliana with its bright glow. Her mother was dead. And all she’d been working toward for the last several months had been wiped away in one night—by Sylmar of all people.
She worked alongside the Loyalists and Recreants to care for the injured and prepare the dead for burial, then helped clean up all the mess left behind from the brief battle.
Kendalyhn stood by her side as faithfully as Iris had stood by her mother’s, her presence surprisingly comforting in the wake of all Aeliana had lost. She’d known she’d accepted her role as a Wyndren the night before, but it surprised her when others seemed to realize it too, bringing questions and information her way that normally would have gone to Sylmar and her mother.
Many of the same questions and information were delivered to Gaeren, forcing—or perhaps allowing—them to work together to find solutions that would please everyone.
It helped that he seemed just as uncomfortable with a position of power he hadn’t meant to take.
At least his rule was temporary, and he could pass it back to Enla when she returned with Riveran.
Aeliana smiled at his clever way of protecting his sister and scrubbed harder at the blood staining the stone floor. She wished she’d thought to get the fish from Velden to do the same for her mother.
“If you’re smiling,” Gaeren said, “maybe this time I can get you to say yes.” He winced when she glanced up, then held up both hands defensively. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Her smile fell. “Don’t tell me you want me to go see Sylmar.” She sat back on her heels and shoved the brush aside, grabbing a washcloth to clean off her stained hands.
“I understand why you don’t want to see him. I don’t want to either. But this time it’s not just Sylmar asking to see you.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “What do you mean?”
“Orra is asking to see him.”
Aeliana frowned. “Why?”
“Something about him knowing where the onyx stone is.”
“How would he know? He never even talked to Mayvus. He just killed my mother.” Aeliana’s words came out curtly, and while she regretted taking it out on Gaeren, she felt no guilt over her hatred for her mother’s murderer.
“I didn’t think he knew anything either. Which is why I let her go see him.”
Aeliana’s hands balled into fists. “You shouldn’t have done that without talking to me. I don’t want anyone listening to him spew his lies.”
Gaeren hesitated, and Aeliana narrowed her eyes.
“You went with her, didn’t you?”
He glanced at the door as if looking for an escape. “I might have.”
She huffed and stood, dragging her bucket of water to the window and dumping it outside.
“I’m sorry. I thought nothing would come of it and that it would get Orra off my back, but here’s the thing.
” He placed a hand on her arm. “He’s telling the truth.
I can’t always sense it since it’s my secondary spoke, but he was eager to prove himself.
I gripped his forearm while he spoke, and every word he said was true. ”
“What did he say?” she asked against her will.
“He thinks there’s more to the curse and that it’s not over with their deaths. He wants you to keep searching for answers.”
She stilled, hating the way it piqued her curiosity. “What, like something can bring them back?”
Gaeren hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t want to get your hopes up. But I also don’t think we can ignore him.”
“What does this have to do with Orra’s stone?”
Gaeren shrugged. “Apparently one of the Stars told her to ask him, but he wouldn’t tell her unless you and Iris were present.”
Aeliana nearly choked on her scoff because her throat was clogged with tears. “How can I face my mother’s murderer?” She pressed her palms against her eyes. “And what does Iris have to do with anything?”
“You won’t be doing it alone.” Gaeren placed his hands on her shoulders.
When she moved her hands, he was crouched before her, looking her in the eye.
“I will be with you the entire time. And anytime you don’t want to listen to him anymore, you can leave.
But if he has something to say that can change the course of our plans—of our lives—we need to hear him out. ”
Aeliana closed her eyes, trying to think of her mother and what she would do in this situation.
As much as it burned to admit it, her mother would have let Sylmar talk, even if it was just so she could discard his words the moment she left the room.
She would never turn down information that could potentially help them.
The job of a leader was to filter through that information.
And now that she knew Sylmar harbored some secret, could she really sail to the other side of the continent and forget about it?
“Fine,” she whispered. “I’ll go.” She lifted Gaeren’s hands off her shoulders and shoved him aside. “But you can’t blame me if I use my light shield against him now that I have it back.”
Traveling to the prison cells was hard enough as Aeliana imagined her mother and father here with Marnok, Orra, and Gaeren.
“How did you stand it?” she asked Gaeren, squeezing his hand tighter as he led her through the tight hallway. Orra and Iris trailed behind them, the maidservant as clueless as Aeliana about why she’d been summoned.
The foul smells of body odor and waste infiltrated her nose, and dirty hands gripped the bars they walked past. So many voices called out, asking for mercy, until they blended together and she could no longer distinguish one plea from another.
“It wasn’t this crowded when we were here,” Gaeren said, “but it still stank, and we still grew restless.”
Orra calmly hummed her agreement from behind them, but Aeliana noticed her scanning the ground and lifting her skirts as if ready to run.
“Has anyone started hearing their cases?” Aeliana asked.
“Ah, well, typically that would be the king’s job. I’m not willing to wait for Enla’s return, so I requested that various men be brought in as judges, but first we’ll need to vet their honor.”
“What will we do with the Ahmranans?”
Gaeren shrugged. “If we find the onyx stone Orra is so keen on, maybe we’ll send them back. I’m not sure yet. It also depends on how many of them willingly fought alongside her and how many were victims of branding.”
They reached a door at the end of the hall, and when they stepped through, they came across four more cells. Only one was occupied. The hairs on Aeliana’s arm stood on end beneath her cloak, and she shivered as she stepped closer to Gaeren.
Orra strode past them, right up to the bars. “Both women agreed to come. So now you need to hold up your end of the bargain. Tell us where the onyx stone is.”
Sylmar’s gnarled hands wrapped around the bars.
He looked oddly frail without his staff, yet his eyes held an intensity that made it difficult for Aeliana to maintain his gaze.
She’d railed at him the night before, and while she no longer felt violent enough to harm him herself, she hoped when Enla returned, justice would involve full retribution.
“Thank you for coming,” he said.
“We didn’t come for you,” Aeliana shot back.
He nodded. “I’m no broken dragon or lost winex. I can no longer earn your sympathy.”
Aeliana frowned. “What is it you want to say?”
Sylmar closed his eyes and leaned against the bars. “There is one thing I’ve kept secret from you.”
“Just one?” Aeliana scoffed.
“Just one left,” he clarified, opening his eyes. “At first I thought it didn’t matter. It would only cause you more pain to know it. When that message came on your skin after you first arrived, I didn’t want to consider it was possible.”
“What message?” Orra asked.
“My guardians—”
“Kidnappers,” Iris cut in.
“Yes, kidnappers,” Aeliana agreed, “carved words on my back to communicate with Mayvus. She used blood magic to send messages back, even across the barrier.”
Gaeren shuddered beside her, and this time Aeliana stepped closer to comfort him.
“I don’t think it was blood magic.” Sylmar’s grip tightened on the bars, making his fingers turn white.
“The longer it went without her using it again, the more I was able to write it off as a fluke. Maybe it really had been blood magic. But when your mother’s talk of a curse held merit, I saw things differently.
I knew I had to consider the possibility. ”
“What possibility?” Gaeren’s tone held warning.
“I had to consider that whatever joined Emeris and Mayvus could be connecting you to someone else too. Not blood magic, but something like a curse. When we first thought it could be Mayvus’ own doing, it made sense.
She wasn’t one to do things halfway. If she’d found a way to bind her life force to Emeris, she was surely willing to use you in the same way. ”
“Who? Who would she bother binding me to?”
Sylmar’s gaze turned pained, and he slumped against the cell bars. “After hearing your vision from Lady Merinnia, I know it wasn’t Mayvus. I think the whole Wyndren line was doomed ages ago. Perhaps Mayvus never even had a chance at goodness.”
“What are you talking about?” Aeliana’s starlock burned against her chest with her impatience.
“You won’t believe me, which is why I need Iris to show you her memory.”
They all turned toward Iris, whose expression held confusion. “My memory of what?”
“Show her the night Anara was born.”
Orra straightened, but Iris paled, her hand pulling at her collar. “How do you know that name?”
“Who is she?” Aeliana asked, recognizing the name but unable to place it.
“Anara has the stone,” Orra said. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know where she is,” Sylmar admitted, “but if Iris shows Aeliana the memory, I think she can figure it out.”
“You’re not making any sense.” Aeliana tried to recall where she’d heard the name.
Memories cycled through her mind as if her noetic skills had returned despite losing them with her brand on Durriken—until one finally clicked.
“There was a girl mentioned in Mayvus’ journals.
A girl Mayvus had tested the winex fluid on without any results listed.
A girl who’d been young when you left Mayvus. ”
Iris gasped. “Anara’s alive?”
Sylmar squeezed his eyes shut.
Aeliana glanced between them. “Did Sylmar and Mayvus have a daughter?”
The noise that came from his mouth might have been a laugh. “No.”
“Iris? Did you and Holm have a daughter?” she asked.
Iris shook her head. “I wish,” she murmured.
“Show her the memory,” Sylmar insisted.
“I can’t take memories anymore. I cut out Durriken’s brand.”
“And you tested it?” he asked. “Made sure the skill was gone?”
“My light shields came back. Isn’t that enough?” She swallowed hard, hating the way she sensed herself looking for his approval even now.
“No,” he grunted. “It’s never enough to assume. Test it. If that skill is truly gone, have Gaeren get the memory for you.”
Aeliana scowled and turned her back on Sylmar. Iris shrank away, and Aeliana tried to soften her features as she held out her hands. “Just think of the memory, and when I can’t access it, Gaeren can instead.”
Iris licked her lips and glanced between Gaeren and Orra. “I didn’t know she was alive. I never would have…” She trailed off, then whispered. “Please don’t make me show you.”
Aeliana’s chest tightened. She hadn’t cared about Sylmar’s babbling, but seeing Iris’ response made fear pierce her soul. “I probably can’t see it anyway. Just try.”
Iris raised trembling fingers to Aeliana’s hand, and the moment they touched, Aeliana fell into Iris’ memory.