Chapter 67
The scratching noise of quill against paper filled the air. This far removed from the rest of the city, it was the only noise to hear. Jaas scribbled quickly but thoroughly, documenting what she could remember of the past day or so.
Fortunately the crowds in Sevvas patch had dispersed without further violence, after Endu had killed Berilo and then vanished. Given the magnitude of what she’d done, and the events preceding that, the fact that she was apparently a navigator seemed almost trivial.
To everyone else, that was. Both Jaas and Arico had been blindsided by it.
Jaas knew that little Satya had been a navigator, and had thought it was why she’d been murdered. She had assumed, and reasonably so, that Satya had inherited it from Alzhi. Apparently she’d gotten it from her mother as well. Shaking her head, Jaas tried to refocus on the larger events.
The Sustained had plenty of navigators, and as such had gotten home from Sevvas patch without difficulty. Arico had transported the stra’tchi personally, though. Some of the stra’tchi had died in the courtyard’s explosion, and Arico had to inform their home patches of that. It had taken hours for him, dropping off people in patches one or two at a time. The crowd of people inside the threads had steadily dwindled, but all of them had seemed subdued by it all.
The Lord Ascendant had been removed, arrested, and then murdered. His body had been taken by the remaining Sustained lords. All five hugely important buildings in Sevvas patch had been leveled—killing dozens of innocent people in the process. Add to that the attempt to kill the rest of them, and Arico and his sister the Heartbane saving almost all of them, using mythical powers almost none of them had seen before! No doubt it would be months or years before people on both sides of the city had fully adapted to these events.
While Arico was delivering the stra’tchi, Velya and Sabra had come along for the ride at first. Velya had spoken with Arico briefly, making sure that no one could overhear, and then left with her brother. Jaas couldn’t read lips, but she got the impression Velya had asked for something and Arico had agreed to it.
Strangely, a pair of Sustained had come along as well. They had waited patiently as Arico dropped everyone off, and then asked to speak to Arico. That conversation had taken place outside the threads as well, but this time Jaas had been included. It turned out that the shorter of the two was Rondo Fisher, Berilo’s younger brother. Thankfully he wasn’t looking to settle any scores—not that he looked like much of a fighter.
Apparently Berilo had come to House Fisher’s estate in Nassa patch two days earlier. He had made sure that the entire household knew Arico’s true bloodline and that he was, whether he liked it or not, Berilo’s heir. Everything in House Fisher belonged to Arico now, by right.
Arico hadn’t seemed surprised by any of this. Rather, he had apparently been disgusted when the older Lord Fisher had told him. By comparison, Rondo seemed utterly unaffected by the news he was bringing. Jaas had examined him closely, but she couldn’t tell if he was very good at hiding his feelings, or he just didn’t care.
She knew about him as well, of course. The Hauld had kept detailed records on the whole of House Fisher, which he’d let her read when it became clear she was intent on joining the movement. From what Jaas could remember, Rondo was apparently a born administrator. He had an innate sense of order, but a limited desire for authority. The records had indicated that he was sensible, level-headed, and lacking in both ambition and mischievousness. He was something like a perfect second-in-command. If Arico didn’t want to take over just yet, it was quite clear that Rondo would continue what he’d been doing for years now. He would maintain House Fisher’s territory quietly, efficiently, and effectively.
Jaas’ instincts were proven right soon enough. Arico had told his uncle to go back and keep running things as she’d expected, and his silent companion had gone with him. After that, Arico had taken the remaining travelers here—wherever here was. Another safe house apparently, though it was definitely inside Sustained territory. It seemed secure even so. Arico had collapsed on one of the upstairs beds almost as soon as they’d arrived, muttered for them to stay inside, and then fallen asleep.
That left just her, Tarith, Balter and Veles. Endu’s boys hadn’t been with them in the Courtyard, but apparently Endu had brought them here and left them for Arico to find. Three boys who weren’t orphans, but might as well have been. Three children abandoned by their parents.
Tarith was still in shock at what had happened. He had just stared at the wall for a long time, before finally falling asleep as well. Despite Nemith’s long-time involvement with the dwarves, he had been part of a very old Sustained bloodline. From what Jaas had heard, that included strict traditions of patriarchy and absolute authority within his family. Considering that, it seemed pretty clear he would never forgive his son’s betrayal and disobedience. Ansanah might be more forgiving, but she also followed those strict traditions, and would do as her husband commanded. Arico had said that if he wanted, Tarith could stay with him until they could find others to care for him. Whenever that might be.
Balter and Veles had also gone to bed a while back. For some reason they seemed better able to handle their sudden abandonment. They were older, but it was also perhaps because they were stra’tchi, and had been separated from their parents once before.
Endu had apparently left her boys letters explaining herself, but Jaas hadn’t inquired as to their contents. She’d also written a note for Arico, and he’d given Jaas permission to read it. Taking a break from her note-taking, Jaas set down the quill and opened up the parchment again.
I know you may never forgive me for what I’ve done, it read simply without any preamble.
It was important that I defy you publicly, so that the people would know my actions are mine alone, and not on your orders. Maybe you can use that in the future to forge some kind of peace.
The boys won’t understand at first. Alzhi and I swore vengeance in secret, and we never told them. Veles should be sent to the Deathwatch patch after he’s come to terms with all of this. It’s not the life I wanted for him, but it’s his choice. Clearly, he’s cut out to be a Deathwatcher, and it’s all he’s ever really wanted.
Balter is another matter. He’s never had much direction in life, nor a sense of purpose like his brother. But he’s smart, charismatic, and attractive. He’ll thrive wherever you choose to send him, as long as it’s not another farming patch.
I’m also sorry I hid the truth about myself, but it was necessary. Alzhi was the one who tested me, if you remember. He knew what it meant for me to be a navigator, and convinced me to keep it a secret. Perhaps a three-year-old might have let it slip, but I was tested late.
Jaas remembered Endu telling her about that. She had been slower than other children her age, and had been held back because of it. She’d been keeping the secret for almost her entire life!
There were only a few lines left on the note.
The list of dead children—the copy you asked for—is in our safe house in Borrgas patch. It’s under the floorboards in front of the door. I hope it’s useful to you.
I meant what I said, Arico. When I’ve finished off the Council—including anyone retired who knew about the slaughters—I will turn myself in to you. Then you can put me up on trial for everyone, for the good of the city.
Until that time, I pray that Aquun keeps us from meeting. I know you will feel honorbound to try to stop me, and I can’t have that.
Despite everything, yours with love,
Endu.
A floorboard creaked, and Jaas looked up to see Arico slowly descending the stairs. He looked a bit disheveled, but much more rested. “How long did I sleep?” He asked quietly, glancing at the boys sleeping on cots on the other side of the room.
“A little over two hours. How are you feeling?”
“A little numb,” he admitted with a small shrug. “A lot happened back there.”
No kidding, Jaas thought to herself. “True, but the real question is what happens now?” She pulled out a chair for him and waited for him to sit. “If Nemith was right, and bringing the rains down on the city won’t be enough to overthrow the Council, then what do we do now?”
Arico sighed. “I’m not sure, really. The surviving Councilors will eventually meet in secret to choose the next Lord Ascendant, but that’ll take a while. The Aquunites will probably take advantage of the chaos to regain some of the power they had in the distant past. The Clarion,” he paused, looking pained.
It was clear he regretted what had happened to the Clarion, as did Jaas. She’d only spoken to him that one time, but he’d seemed a kind and considerate person.
“The Clarion initiates will want to appoint another Clarion, but the Council won’t have any of that,” Arico went on slowly. “They had enough trouble with the last one. As for the stra’tchi, I really have no idea. I doubt Nemith or any of the rest of the movement will have anything to do with me after what I did yesterday, and they don’t care about the stra’tchi as much as I do. I have a few sources of my own, though. I’ll ask them. I suspect that things will be pretty subdued for a bit before getting dangerous again. It’s the quiet before the storm.” He paused. “Did I use that right?”
Jaas smiled. “Close enough.”
“The stra’tchi patches won’t need the Waters for a few weeks at least, but then they’ll start asking you for some help. How did you bring the rains anyway?”
“It was Lem,” she explained obligingly. “After I got out of the city and recovered from the potion’s effects—which are not pleasant by the way—he took me back home. We did some research for a day or so on how to fly over the city, modified some spells to help us breathe and keep warm, and then came back here. It took some trial and error, but eventually we were able to get up high enough to see over the barriers.”
Jaas shook her head in wonderment, still remembering how it looked from up there. “The scholars who’ve studied what happened here were on the right track. It is possible to go over the city, and maybe under as well. They just didn’t fly up high enough. Besides, it was such a political mess back then, they probably didn’t want to try. They just declared the whole area off-limits and called it a day.”
“If they’d shown a little more determination, they would have made contact shortly after the Threading,” Arico said bitterly. “Thousands of lives would have been saved, there would have been no Council, and we would have all been evacuated centuries ago.”
He grimaced. “So, Lem flew up there, and used his portals to drop the Waters on us from far above?” He paused for a moment, and smiled a little. “And he knew when to use it because of the sundial. That’s how you knew when to act as well.”
“It was a pretty simple plan, really,” Jaas said proudly. “All it took was precise aim and timing, which Lem did beautifully. He can do it again whenever as well, so everyone can have rain as often as they need it.”
Arico closed his eyes briefly. “What you did was impressive. I believe it will lead to the Council’s overthrow, eventually. The potion is more important, though. Now that we know it works, we can evacuate the city. It could take years, but it’s possible. Do you think Lem could recreate it?” He sighed. “I doubt we can count on Endu to mix up any more batches for us.”
His voice had suddenly gotten very thick, and Jaas thought back on Endu’s letter. She’d known Arico almost his entire life. She’d been one of the first confidants he’d had other than the Hauld and Durhu. She’d patched him up, no doubt many times. She’d been… perhaps not a mother, but at least a close aunt to him. Jaas shook her head. “Lem’s no alchemist, but we do have friends back at the Academy who could help. I’ll tell him to reach out to them in my next letter."
Arico gave her a worried look. “I take it you plan on staying here, then? You won’t go to safety again?”
As she remembered, Jaas reached out and punched him on the shoulder. “That’s for lying to me, by the way,” she tried to put some bite into her words. “If I’d known what you were planning, I could have told you my plans as well. I wouldn’t have had to be captured to get a message to you! Besides, even if what you were doing was the right thing, I deserved to know! You basically just shipped me off like a sack of grain!”
He rubbed at his shoulder with his other arm, looking at least a little ashamed. Of course it wasn’t that simple and Jaas knew it. He’d sent her to safety at least. He may have done the wrong thing, but she could understand his reasons for it. “I am sorry about that,” he finally responded. “Thank you for coming back, and for bringing the rains. You gave hope to a lot of people. You and Lem both.”
With that awkwardness behind them, they got to planning. There were a lot of moving parts to figure out: from the Council’s inevitable resistance to the idea, to reaching out to the Thornes for help, to how and when to reveal the plan to the people. Arico hadn’t been kidding. The whole process would likely take years, but at least they had a plan now.
-.-
They were winding down when a knock sounded on the front door.
Arico glanced that way suspiciously. “Endu and Nemith are the only people who know this location,” he said quietly to Jaas. “I doubt it’s either of them.” It suddenly occurred to him that Nemith might actually be here. He might want revenge on them for sparing the Councilors’ lives.
No, that wasn’t his style. He might be angry, but Nemith wasn’t a vengeful person. Arico had refused to carry out the Hauld’s orders, which meant that Nemith would never trust him again, but it was unlikely he’d want revenge either. That just wasn’t his way. Arico felt a little sick at that loss as well. So many people he’d considered his family were now dead or gone from his life.
As he was lost in that depressing thought, Jaas pulled out one of the guns that had been secreted away here in the safe house, and started loading it. Arico suppressed a smile at how easily she did it. She’d come a long way from that training yard in the Enclave.
The knock sounded again. When Jaas nodded at him that she was ready, Arico pressed the handle down and pushed the door open. He was already holding onto the threads from high above just in case, leaving a tiny hole in the ceiling. He let go of them almost immediately, though. It was Belaya out there, along with a younger woman he didn’t recognize.
She gave one of her small smiles at him. “Hello, Arico. This is Charisa,” she gestured to the stranger. “May we come in?”
After a moment Arico nodded, and then backed up to let them in. Charisa was dressed simply, in short-cut leggings and a light tunic. Her arms were bare, but he couldn’t see any stra’tchi brand on her shoulder. She was carrying a leather satchel that clinked as it moved, indicating something metal within. Belaya greeted Jaas as well, once they were inside.
“I know you’re quite busy,” she said with an air of apology, glancing at the table with all of their hastily-scrawled plans strewn about. “I don’t want to keep you. It’s just that my father wanted me to ask for your help, Arico. Just for an hour or so.”
“Help with what, exactly?” Arico asked after a glance at Jaas. Of course Cartwright knew where they were. Fortunately, it wasn’t his style to take sides, so they were likely still safe here.
“Father wants it to be a surprise,” Belaya said wryly. “He has a strange sense of humor sometimes. He did want you to know that this favor you’re doing him is also a favor for you.”
Arico wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, but it didn’t really matter. He could use a break anyway, and he trusted in whatever Cartwright was up to. He looked at Jaas again, who shrugged. “Go on,” she said easily. “I’ll look after the boys and keep fine-tuning our plans while you’re gone. You can tell me all about it when you get back.”
Hesitantly, Arico gave her a slight nod and then followed the two other women out. This place was near the threads, and Belaya was heading in that direction. Apparently she couldn’t pull on them like he could, despite having a father who apparently knew everything. Either that, or she could and didn’t want to advertise it.
He had been able to teach pulling on the threads to Nemith and a few others in the movement, back before he’d surrendered to Berilo. Endu had apparently picked it up just by watching the others try. That meant Jaas was wrong—it wasn’t a matter of strength.
-.-
A short time later, the three of them were on the flat grassy plains outside the Fishbowl. He took in a deep breath of surprise and pain at being here again. Aside from people dropping off supplies to Codi, who still refused to leave the underground structure, no one in the movement had any reason to come here anymore. Belaya confidently led the way towards the surface entrance though, as if she’d been here before.
It took a few more minutes for them to go down the corkscrew incline on the inside to reach Codi’s home. On the way, Belaya gave some basic instructions. They didn’t make much sense to him, but Arico only shrugged. He’d never dealt with Cartwright directly, but according to Jaas he was a ‘diviner’, and as such always had a plan in motion. Arico was actually looking forward to seeing this one play out.
He tried to speak with Charisa while they were walking, but the young woman wouldn’t even make eye contact at first. She merely blushed and clutched the leather bag close to her chest. By her walk, she was definitely one of the Sustained, and her behavior suggested that she might have been Cloistered as well. Belaya watched his continued attempts at communication with increasing amusement.
When they’d arrived, Belaya waved Charisa out of sight to the side, and then knocked on the door twice. There was a short delay, and then Codi opened it cautiously. His face split into a wide smile. “Arico! It’s good to see you! We were worried you might not be coming back.” He reached out and grabbed Arico in a bear hug, lifting him a little off the ground.
Arico grunted both with humor and surprise at how strong his grip was, as the older man put him down again. “I’m all right, Codi. In fact a lot has happened since the last time I was here. I’ll tell you all about it at some point, but for right now I need to go upstairs to my dwelling and check on a few things. This is Belaya Cartwright. She wanted to have a few words with you, if you’re willing.”
Codi’s eyes widened a bit. Addled and closeted though he was, even he’d apparently heard of Cartwright’s dealings. “Please come in, milady,” he opened his arms gallantly.
Belaya gave Arico a wink as she stepped inside, and closed the door. Charisa came back around and put her ear to the door, with Arico doing the same. The voices were muffled, but still audible.
Belaya started with some small talk, as Codi apparently put a teapot over the fire. Mystified as to what her end goal was, Arico kept listening. He and Charisa were actually facing each other, and they both smiled a bit at the situation. She seemed to be more comfortable with him now, for some reason.
“I was looking forward to meeting your niece,” Belaya said conversationally through the door, and Arico perked up. This was what she’d told him to wait for. “I’ve heard quite a bit about her.”
“Alya’s upstairs resting,” Codi responded over the clanking of the pot as he stirred. “She should be down soon, though. I’m sure she’d be fascinated to meet you too.”
Upstairs. That wasn’t ideal, but he could make it work. Arico pointed behind Charisa, to the adjacent dwelling, and they both quietly headed there. Thankfully all these homes were at least generally similarly shaped, so he led the way upstairs.
“Are you a navigator?” He whispered over at Charisa. She shook her head. “All right, then you need to stay very still for this.”
Making sure she wasn’t moving, he pulled on the threads above and cut a hole in the adjoining wall. Charisa gasped as hardened clay flaked away, followed by stone and dirt spilling down into the gap. At least it was quiet. Once the hole was big enough for him, Arico let go and stepped through into ‘Alya’s’ room. Charisa followed, her eyes still wide. It made sense: his abilities may be common knowledge by now, but they were hardly commonplace. Nemith and Endu had learned from him and would surely teach others in time, but for now, this would be shocking to most people.
This was as far as he was supposed to go, so Arico just sat on the dilapidated bed. Charisa still looked nervous, but she set her jaw and pulled the satchel open. From within, she pulled out a jagged looking metal contraption. It took Arico a few moments to recognize it. He’d only seen a bear trap once before, in a display case inside the keep. Only a few people in the city had ever made one, usually as a novelty item for some rich lord or lady. Codi must have made this one for one of his Sustained clients. There were no bears inside the city, of course.
Charisa put it down and then removed a small vial from the satchel. It was some kind of red liquid, which she proceeded to pour over the blades of the trap. Then she reached down and dripped a circle of it onto her left leg, and then down to her ankle and foot. When she was done, it was indistinguishable from blood.
She put the vial back in the case and handed it to Arico. “Get back to the front door,” she whispered to him surprisingly. “Trust me, you won’t want to miss this.” With that, she started walking loudly and slowly towards the bedroom door.
The lazy conversation below halted momentarily. “Good, she’s up,” Belaya’s voice filtered through. Arico felt a chill as he left through the gap he’d made, and hurried down to the main entrance. Memories of Jaas’ injury flashed through his head. They were playing a dangerous game, messing with Codi’s trauma like this.
As per his instructions, Arico knocked on the door with the metal covering his wrists, and Belaya opened it for him. Codi smiled at his return, and then the steps upstairs started again. Codi’s breath caught as Charisa slowly descended the stairs.
Arico found he was holding his breath as well. Jaas had explained to him how Cartwright’s abilities worked. He could see everything anyone else could see. Apparently that included Codi’s delusions as well. Charisa was apparently a very close likeness to Alya, but was she close enough? Codi had been suffering ever since that brute Kurkennis had killed his niece, but would this make him any better? If Codi found out what they were trying to do here, would it snap him out of his delusion, or push him deeper in?
“A-Alya?” Codi said haltingly, looking as though his eyes might pop out of his head.
“It’s me, uncle Codi,” Charisa said smoothly. Though there was a hint of sadness in her voice, she kept moving gracefully, and finally came to a stop a few steps above ground level. The fake blood on her leg was concealed by the handrail. Her placement was perfect. Arico was sure now that she’d been trained as an actress. Perhaps Cartwright had arranged that too, in preparation for this moment.
Codi glanced at Arico and Belaya quickly. “No no no no, you can’t be here!” He said frantically. He quickly stepped forward, apparently trying to block the sight of his ‘niece’ from the two of them. “You only show yourself to me! That’s how it’s been for years now! I’m the only one you talk to!”
“No, b’rata,” Charisa said, and a tear made its way down her cheek. “You were the only person who could see me until now. You made all my excuses. You set two dinner plates out every night. You kept my things in perfect order up there,” she looked back upstairs briefly.
“But you’ve always known the truth, haven’t you?” She turned back towards him. “I’m dead, uncle. I’ve been dead for a long time now, and I can’t let this continue.”
“You’re wrong, dear one!” Codi exclaimed. “You never left me. You’ve been at my side this whole time! Even when you were taken by the Ascendants, you never broke. You found your way back to me as you’ve done every time!”
Arico winced. He trusted Cartwright, and therefore Belaya and Charisa, but this? This was like cutting into a barely-healed scar and letting it bleed freely again. Cartwright had engineered all of this, based on what he’d gleaned with his abilities. Even the name she called him, b’rata, was a common nickname from the old Vasiri language, meaning ‘shaggy dog’.
“I love you uncle,” she snapped at Codi, and grabbed his hands tightly. “That means I have to help you, even if it hurts. It’s time you faced the truth instead of hiding from it! It’s time you admit, to yourself and everyone else, what really happened with Kurkennis!”
Codi burst into tears in front of them, his chest heaved and he slumped a bit where stood, but Charisa held him firmly upright. Despite everything he’d seen, it was horrible for Arico to watch this all unfold.
“He… took… you from me,” he sobbed, barely coherent through the noise. “You were all I had left, and he took you away!”
“No,” she responded bluntly, steely eyes focused on his own. “Kurkennis threatened you, threatened both of us, but he wasn’t there the night I died. He had nothing to do with killing me and you know it!”
She reached behind herself and lifted up the bloody trap. Codi flinched away from it, as if it was some kind of incarnation of the Shemra themselves. “No… no!” He pleaded, wrenching his hands free and holding them up in front of his face.
“The truth, b’rata!” She went on harshly, moving slowly towards him as he retreated. “Say it aloud! Admit what you did, or you will never be free of this!” She rattled the trap for emphasis, and he whimpered. Belaya raised a hand minutely, out of Codi’s sight, and Charisa stopped advancing towards the poor man. He crumpled on the floor, weeping.
“I… didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said into the floorboards. “I set the trap for him! I didn’t know you’d be coming home early! It was an accident!”
Arico could barely believe his ears. All this time, the entire movement had blamed Kurkennis for what he’d done to this poor man. Not just for killing Codi’s niece, but for breaking his mind as well!
“I set the trap,” Codi mumbled, his forehead still planted firmly on the ground. “It was meant for him. He’s big, and tall. It would have hurt him, maybe crippled him, but nothing more!”
“But I’m not so tall,” Charisa said softly. “It cut into my leg, deep. I fainted from the pain. Then I bled to death right there on the floor of our home,” she went on implacably. Codi sobbed again and again, taking heaving, ragged breaths in between. Arico was paralyzed at what he was seeing, but Belaya gripped his arm warningly, snapping him out of it. He pulled on the threads and got ready.
Charisa knelt and slowly lifted her fake uncle’s head off the floor. She embraced him briefly, and then pulled back a bit. “I forgive you, b’rata. I forgive what you tried to do, and what you did, and what you concealed from everyone,” she lifted the trap again.
With a surprising amount of strength for someone so slim, she hurled the trap out the open door. Arico was ready, and made sure to thread the whole thing in midair. From Codi’s perspective, it just vanished.
Codi let out a shuddering breath, as if releasing some deadly poison from his lungs. Actually, that wasn’t far from the truth, Arico considered. He slumped there for a moment, before Charisa slowly pulled him to his feet and embraced him again. “I forgive you, uncle Codi. Now and forever, I forgive you.”
Belaya gave them a few moments, before gesturing to Charisa again. On cue, the young woman pulled back. “I have to go now. We won’t see each other again, at least not for a while.”
Codi’s hands gripped her tightly. “No! Now that you’re here—really actually here, I mean—you can’t just go! We have so much to do! So much to catch up on!”
She only gave him a sad smile. “I don’t know if we’ll meet again in the next life, b’rata, but you still have this life to live. If I stayed, I’d only be holding you back. I have to let you go, for your own good, and you have to do the same.”
She backed away from him, towards Arico and Belaya, and he reluctantly let her slip free of his grasp. Arico waited until she had a grip on his other arm, gave Codi a brief nod, and then took them both away to the threads.
