Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
-KADIAN-
“Are you ready?” Tura’s voice broke me from the haze of notes that lay strewn out before me.
I had begun taking over the third floor of the library, completely disregarding the fact that it was a shared space.
Despite knowing that any member of the Court of Shadows had permission to enter, to peruse the books that lined these dusty old shelves, few ever did.
I was lucky if I saw another person most days, well, besides Tura.
“Yes,” I said in a hurried attempt to gather everything up and place it in the satchel that had made a permanent home on my hip and the back of my chair.
“What’s all this?” Tura asked, reaching for one of the papers.
“Just helping a friend with a project,” I said, doing my best not to look her in the eye. I’d never been a good liar, and something told me if Tura looked at me, she’d see into the depths of me. Perhaps set me aflame from the inside out. It wasn’t worth the risk.
“What sort of project? Am I not giving you enough to do?”
Tura had not given me much to do, and I’d been exceedingly grateful.
Other than our meeting, our second of which was today, she had asked me to sort through a few folders, place some books on the shelves, and not much else.
It would have been a near-perfect arrangement, had my questions about Addie ceased to exist.
Why was the mark important? Who was this king? Why was Addie looking into genealogy to begin with?
Tura’s cough reminded me she had asked a question.
“I can do more, if you wish,” I said through gritted teeth.
Hoping that nothing else would be added to my plate.
Every day when I arrived at the library, I could feel it.
The ripple in the universe that knew I didn’t belong, the chord that was pulling me elsewhere.
To where? I remained unsure, but I knew it wasn’t here, in this place, surrounded by tomes I could never understand.
“Come now.” She said as she handed me the last of the papers, the one of the drawing of the hand with the mark. “We have to get going.”
The walk to the Vitality Council was silent until Tura asked, “Who are you working on this project with?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and let out a low sigh. “Iona Vorren.”
“Ha,” Tura said as we rounded the final corner. “Be careful with that one. A fury like hers I have seen only a few times before. She is not one to be crossed, Kadian.”
Didn’t I know it.
The guards didn’t protest at our arrival for the meeting, and I made my way to the innermost circle, where a female was sitting, and Oz was absent.
“Hello,” I said as I took my seat, trying to assess what each court and its representatives were doing. Were they involved in the new barricades? Would they protest?
Sylar and Thalius were having a discussion in one corner while Qurasa and Fayma were in the other.
The magisters did not speak to anyone outside of their court, while the librarians intermingled, discussing recent additions to their house collections.
The librarians were like Oz and myself, willing to look past court lines.
How can they not see we’re better together, that we each are a piece of the puzzle? No one court is greater than the other.
Where did that thought come from?
“Good morning,” the timid voice said as it wafted up to my ears.
“You must be the assistant in the House of Whispers,” I said as I looked at the violet streaks in her almost-white hair. Her brown skin was a rich, deep color, and it only further highlighted the purple of her eyes.
“I am.” She gestured to the chair beside her. “I’m Lottie.”
“Kadian.” I attempted to make myself comfortable in the chair—as comfortable as I could be in a place like this.
I had never understood what drove someone to politics, to want to lead.
My father had involved himself in the local councils of Escalia before throwing in the towel.
“They’re all backwards” is what he’d said after the last meeting. I had been inclined to agree with him.
“Are you a new member of your court?” Lottie asked, her head tilted in a way that told me she was looking for traits in my hair, my eyes, anything that truly marked me as a member of the Court of Shadows.
“I am. I’m part of the most recent group of inductees. The Court of Shadows.” I pointed to the emblem that was engraved on the desk in front of me.
“Really?” She leaned in closer, eyes growing speculatively.
“Uh, yes?” I did the only thing I could think of and ran a hand through my hair. “There’s red in there now.”
“Looks more earthy to me.” She began to say, but was interrupted by the thud next to us.
“Thank the Gods, a new face. Now I won’t be forced to only stare at yours.” Oz said. His brow was covered in sweat.
“Did you run here?” I whispered as I turned to face him more fully.
“Yeah. I got…” His eyes wandered over to Lottie, assessing her before returning to mine. “Caught up in what I was doing. Hello.” He offered his hand out, and I smacked myself for not having done the same. “I’m Oz, Eternal Court.”
“Lottie, Court of Whispers.”
“Of course you are.” Oz said, with a grin growing on his face, “With that sheen in your hair and those beautiful eyes, there’s not a single being alive who’d doubt it.”
Lottie offered a faint smile before averting her eyes to the papers she’d placed in front of her.
“You came prepared.” I looked at the empty space in front of me.
I’d come to learn that if I focused on taking notes as things were happening, I missed the most important bits.
At least I thought I did as everything I wrote down was dull and boring.
So it had to be. I therefore came to the decision that I would focus on the conversations at hand, and offer a retelling later.
“Is that not what we’re here for?” Her smile faltered; her face appeared sullen.
“Of course it is, ignore him.” Oz gestured his head toward me. “Wouldn’t know notes from a love letter, this one. You’ll do just fine.”
She beamed in response to his ease, his candor.
“Is there anyone you can’t charm?” I whispered under my breath.
“One, but I’m still working on it.”
I placed my face in my palms, knowing that whatever it was Oz sought from Iona, it would end in disaster.
“What’s it like?” Oz asked, leaning his head in his hands.
“What’s what like?” Lottie looked between us, as if I had the answer to this vague question.
“The Court of Whispers, what’s it like? I presume you’ve been. You weren’t in our group, our year. We would’ve remembered you.”
Lottie brushed some of the violet-streaked hair behind her pointed ear, the curls popping in several directions behind it. “Cold.” Her smile was broadening.
When was the last time someone spoke to this woman?
“I can imagine, being all alone up there in the Tactras Mountains. Bit isolating, no?” Oz continued to prod while my gaze once again flitted around the room.
“Likely no different than any other court.”
“Yes, but when you factor in the cold…”
Who is here, who is talking with whom? What alliances are being formed? Will Rai dismantle treaties? Break down established relationships?
Qurasa tapped his staff against the floor, and a reverberation radiated across the room.
“The Vitality Council shall henceforth commence.”
“You should come meet with us, for dinners,” Oz said as I returned my focus to him and Lottie.
“Do you still fraternize with members outside of your own court, truly?”
“Of course.” Oz offered. “Don’t you?”
Her face dropped once more. “Not in quite some time.”
Before either could continue the conversation, Qurasa said, “Good morning.” He cleared his throat, “Chancellors, please commence the meeting.”
Each of the chancellors did as they had in the first meeting, offering the barriers, the sound carrying. “Doesn’t this seem foolish if we know Rai is just going to show up whenever he likes?” I whispered to Oz.
He shrugged, more interested in what Lottie was already writing.
“Our last meeting,” Qurasa’s eyes veered toward Thalius, who greeted him with a sneer, “was rather unorthodox. The Vitality Council prides itself on tradition, continuity, stability.”
“Really, Qurasa,” Sylar’s words carried around the room, lightly caressing each of our faces, “please attempt to be less formulaic. It is tiresome.” He took a long sip from the goblet in front of him. Lucky bastard, why didn’t I think to bring something to drink to this?
“We already know how you feel about etiquette, Sylar. Please do not tire us with your interruptions.”
Sylar laughed. I was unsure if he was mocking Qurasa or impressed that he dared to challenge him. I looked to my right, where Lottie was scribbling furiously, and to the left where Oz twirled a quill in his fingers. His eyes were distant, lost in some thought or another.
“I do not believe it necessary to adhere to our traditional normality. Each of us surely remembers what was discussed and transpired in last week’s session.” Thalius said from his seat.
“Ah, yes,” Fayma offered, smoke emanating from her seat, “was it only a week ago where his majesty infiltrated the sanctity of the council. He no doubt forgot that the council has met quarterly since its inception.”
It surprised me to see Fayma disparage the king, a member of our own court. It seemed court loyalty only extended so far.
“His majesty will not be joining us today, but has asked for me to speak on his behalf.”
“On his behalf?” Illerium bellowed from the middle of the circles. “The courts all speak for the king as they speak for Azmeer. It is not left to one, especially not one from a different court than His… Majesty.”
Thalius fingers began working together as he turned to face Illerium. “Qurasa, as you are a stickler for the rules, do I need to remind you to muzzle your hound?”
My mouth gaped, as did those of several of the individuals in the room. I wasn’t sure how old Illerium was, Gods knew he wasn’t young, but I don’t think anyone had ever spoken to him or addressed him in such a way.
“Things are getting feisty,” Sylar threw his legs up onto the table, pulling an apple out of thin air, taking a bite. “I do say, carry on. The two of you put on quite a show.”
With a wave of Thalius’s hand, water appeared in front of Sylar. “Now you may gaze at your reflection, nothing will entertain you more.”
“Did you know they could summon water at will?” I kicked Oz under the table, who still hadn’t refocused.
“What was that for?” He practically screamed.
I gestured my head to where Sylar sat, transfixed by his own reflection, not uttering a sound but smiling profusely.
“You know how these things are—most courts and its members keep their magic to themselves. It might be unique to Thalius.” Oz whispered.
“As I was saying,” Thalius continued, and this time, both Oz and I turned to face him. “His Noble Majesty, King Rai,” he paused for emphasis, “has asked me to ensure all necessary measures will be in place for the festival in his honor.”
After hours of arguments between the Eternal Court and Thalius, with the odd interruption from Fayma, the meeting came to an end. In a rare moment of silence, Thalius snapped his fingers, the puddle in front of Sylar disappeared and his gaze finally returned upwards.
“Welcome back.” Thalius words cut through the air like a knife.
Sylar jolted to his feet, waving his hand in front of him, but Thalius did the same. A force of wind intended to knock Thalius from where he stood was blocked by a barrier of water.
“You’ll have to be faster than that, Sylar. Now, we shall reconvene next week with the new ordinances his majesty is working on.” Before Qurasa could dismiss the meeting, Thalius left the table, making his way toward the exit.
“It was good to meet you both,” Lottie said as the members of her court made their way to leave.
“You, too.” Oz said before I grabbed his arm.
“Please tell me you saw what happened just now.” I gestured to where papers had gone flying from the tables.
“Of course I did.”
“It’s not of course—you looked like your body was here for half the meeting, but your mind was somewhere else.”
His brows furrowed as he turned to face me fully. “I may have found something… interesting. I need a couple more days to investigate, but when I have a better idea, I’ll send word to you and Iona.” Oz reached for his papers, winked, and made his way to leave.
After finishing her discussion with the other librarians, Tura and I made our journey back to the House of Shadows.
“I have nothing left for you to work on today. Why don’t you use that time to work on your project?
Or construct a plan of survival should the project fail.
I’ve never known Iona to take failure well.
” Without saying another word, Tura made her way inside.
Before I could move, the door slammed closed behind her.
“This again?” I said as I took a step closer toward the pulsing gem.
Is that any way to say you missed me?
“We’ve only been apart for a few hours.”
And what a lonely few hours they’ve been, Kadian. Honestly, no one else pays me the attention you do.
“I’ll have to ask them for the remedy as to how to keep you out.”
She laughed, the sound clawing at the frayed edges of my resolve.
I knew I liked you best.
The door swung open, and I made my way inside.
I did not see or hear from Oz until three days later.