CHOSEN (27 page)

“I need you to leave for a moment,” Maralt said and that was all it took for them to get up and file out, no mental push required. They were trained to do as they were told by figures of authority. Maralt supposed a Medic counted as one.

The door closed and Maralt turned to Dynan, who looked even worse in person than he had through Geneal’s eyes. A labyrinth of tubes and bandages surrounded him. He lay completely still except for the forced rise and fall of his chest. Maralt had hoped he’d find some small spark of light around him but it wasn’t there.

He saw himself stabbing Dynan again, the shock in his eyes, the look on his face, the blood pooling out of his mouth. Being responsible for Dynan’s death was more than Maralt wanted to think about, or endure should it turn out that way. He'd sworn an oath to protect him. Maralt closed his eyes against the rise of revulsion and fear.

Ambrose Telaerin walked in and closed the door behind him. Maralt remained backed into the corner waiting for Melgan or one of the others to come in with him, but the King remained alone. He leaned against the door and Maralt thought he might break down, but he only pressed his palms into his eyes and then held his head a moment. Maralt waited for him to move to time his introduction when the King wasn’t standing next to the door and easy escape, or the companel in the wall.

Ambrose was an astute man though, and turned abruptly at the foot of Dynan’s bed an instant before Maralt meant to speak. The uniform confused him a second, but Ambrose realized quickly that Maralt wasn’t a Medic.

“Your Majesty, my name is Maralt Adaeryn. I’m from the Temple. The High Bishop knows I’m here. I’m a telepath like your sons. I know where they are. Please, let me talk to you and explain.”

Ambrose regarded him, unafraid, taking in his appearance and judging him in one glance. It was the first time in his life Maralt was completely intimidated by anyone.

“It’s all true,” the King said, watching him closely and Maralt could only nod.

“Everything your father said to you before he died, yes. All of it, and more. It’s worse than you think. And if you tell anyone about this, Sir, even your closest friends, it will cause the end of the world. All the demon needs is a whisper now to come here, less than that. You can’t tell anyone about this. You can’t let them remove Dynan as heir. And you can’t let them turn off these machines.”

~*~

Chapter 21

The shelf below was a large circle of barren rock, studded with rough-hewn pillars arrayed around a central altar. It was dark; full of shadows even though it was open to the air. Large, jagged walls of rock rose to enclose it, making access to it difficult. The driving rain of blood had stopped, but a heavy mist of it hung in the air.

Dain was chained to the altar, unmoving, blood oozing from the cuts in his arms over the surface of the rock. His eyes were open but sightless. For an instant, Dynan thought he was dead.

Fadril set a hand on his arm to remind him to be still and wait. It was impossible to do, sitting there watching. The urge to go down to Dain was so nearly overwhelming that Dynan had to stop looking. He turned and slid down the face of the boulder he was behind, cutting off the terrible view. He studied his hands instead, and imagined them holding a sword.

There was no sign of Alurn, which meant they were holding him somewhere out of sight, or somewhere else entirely. There wasn’t any easy way to find him, but then Dynan realized he could probably communicate with him since he was a telepath. Fadril didn’t want to risk it yet, just like she didn’t want to risk it with Dain.

There was no sign of Adiem either, or any of the five other parts of him, or the other creatures that inhabited this world. The shelf was empty except for Dain. It probably wouldn’t stay empty for long, Dynan thought, if he took the chance to go down there,

So he sat and waited, and tried not to think too much about the pain his brother was in, or wonder about Alurn. He thought about the research paper he’d been writing, a lifetime ago it seemed, and felt like he had it all wrong again. Certainly, Polen Forb was responsible for much of Cobalt’s success in battle, but he and Faulkin and Grint were men who would follow Alurn to their death. They already had. They didn't think he was immature or reckless. They believed in him.

Dynan had a flash then of Alurn surrounded by stone, chained hand and foot, and unable to move. He looked exactly like Adiem and Dynan almost ran from him until he looked up. The eyes of his father looked back at him.

Alurn recognized him, acknowledging his presence with a nod. He seemed to expect him. There was a hint of relief in his face. He showed Dynan where he was in relation to the shelf. Alurn took him on a path cut through the rocks, winding his way out of his prison. The entrance was beneath them.

“Are you all right?” Dynan asked, curious about him and a little overwhelmed that he was meeting a legend.

“I’ve seen better days,” Alurn said and smiled. “I’m better now. I hope you have a plan.”

“Sort of,” Dynan said. “Hold on a minute.”

Dynan turned to Fadril to tell her he knew where Alurn was and realized his mistake the next instant. Alurn was right there with him, looking at his wife. Dynan didn’t stand a chance of blocking out the flood of emotions that raced through his sixteen-year-old mind.

“Hey! She’s like my grandmother,” he said to him.

Alurn smiled at that. “Is she all right?”

“She’s fine. Stop it, would you? You’ll get to talk to her in minute.”

Fadril’s voice intruded on the silent conversation. “Are you talking to him? Dynan?”

Dynan found himself pushed aside of his own mind, unable to keep Alurn from taking over, even while part of him remained chained in the cave. Dynan did his best to ignore what was going on. He didn’t really want to know what it was like to kiss Fadril. He concentrated on not finding out.

“He shouldn’t have told you,” Fadril said, realizing easily enough who was kissing her.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” Alurn said and wrapped her up in his/Dynan’s arms again. “Why do you think I came here? I mean, originally the bastard twisted it up to lure me in, but I found out you were really here. I’m not leaving without you.”

“Seriously, this is not right,” Dynan muttered, annoyed he was being ignored.

“It isn’t possible, Alurn,” she said, running her fingers down the side of his face.

“It will be possible,” Alurn said. “I’m not leaving you here. You can’t ask me to. I can’t believe you stayed.”

“We’ve both fought in our own way,” she said. “It was necessary.”

Dynan intruded into their sphere of existence. “This is beautiful and all, but could you maybe wait until I’m not right here for it? Mother. Father.”

Alurn laughed and put an arm around him, putting him between the two of them. “I’m sorry. But it’s been time beyond—”

“The count of years,” Dynan said. “I get that. Where’s Adiem?”

“The Six have gone down to the plain to meet your army and destroy it,” Alurn said and then looked at his wife. “Where did you find an army?”

“They aren’t an army,” Dynan said. “It won’t take long to find that out. It’s a trap, isn’t it? The shelf.”

“Yes. They’ll know the moment you set foot there.” Alurn frowned for a second, his brows drawing downward and he looked over his shoulder. “But there might be a way. Have you and Dain ever mentally switched places?”

“Yes,” Dynan said and started to see what Alurn might suggest.

“You’ll have to do the same thing here, only you won’t switch, you’ll take over.”

“Take over?” Dynan repeated. “Me, take over Dain?”

“Yes,” Alurn said. “He won’t be the same. His strength has been taken, maybe to the point he won’t ever get it back. You’ll have to ignore the screaming. The demon brought him here, Dynan.”

Fadril gasped at that. “Then Dynan could be taken too, the moment he touches his mind, Alurn.”

“Not if he doesn’t allow it,” Alurn said and turned to him. “Don’t doubt your abilities. You’re first born.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be,” Dynan said.

“But you are. I know; your brother had some difficulty getting himself born. Not to get too detailed about it.”

“Yes. How did you...No one knows that.”

“I was there,” Alurn said. “I’m wondering who told you.”

“Kamien.”

“Ah,” Alurn nodded. “Interesting. Well, I can tell you without doubt that your birth happened for a reason, just the way it did. Maybe this reason, right now with Dain and what you’re faced with. Here you are and there he is, damned if you don’t save him. Once you’re physically joined with him, you can come get me. I’ll face Adiem when the time comes once I’m free. Go, before you lose your nerve. Don’t think about it too much.”

But Alurn stopped him a moment longer, looking to his wife. Dynan swore under his breath and tried to be invisible and unknowing again.

“I’m not leaving you here,” Alurn told her, caressing her face. “You can’t ask me to.”

“I don’t have a choice,” she said. “But it won’t be for eternity, Alurn. When you finally put this to rights, when your namesake succeeds in the long fight, I’ll be free of my vow.”

“The Gods will release you. I talk to them quite a bit. They aren’t so cruel or so weak.” He looked up and saw Polen, Faul and Grint watching. “I won’t leave any of you here.”

“You will if it means we stop this,” Polen said. “Don’t be a fool.”

“I’m not listening to you, old man,” Alurn said. He glanced at Dynan. “I’m not really known for it. You’re coming home, or we’re all staying for the party.”

Dynan decided to interrupt. It was time to get on with it. “What about the demon?”

“This isn’t its lair. Close, but not quite. We’re at its gate but not in the Void. If we’re lucky, Adiem won’t be able to summon it. They have to have the strength for it and despite what they’ve been saying, they don’t. They used it up already bringing Dain here. They could get it back from you and I. Don’t let them take you.”

“Could you let her go now?” he said and then forced the issue before the kissing started up. “Just wait until I have Dain. He won’t mind so much.”

Alurn laughed at that but didn’t argue or stop Dynan from pushing him. “You’ll understand one—”

“Don’t,” Dynan said. He heard that enough already. Alurn could probably tell he’d never been with a girl.

“I’m the one who set it up that way.”

“What? Why?”

Alurn shrugged at that. “Some things you just have to wait for. Go get your brother.”

Dynan let that go, but hesitated a moment longer, afraid Alurn was wrong and nothing they did would work. It was a fact though that Dain’s life depended on Dynan. He decided not to think about the rest of the world. He could save his brother.

Dynan concentrated and reached for him.

Pain assaulted him. His arms were on fire where they’d been cut. There were other strains too, injuries that joined together into a dull throb. He expected screaming, but for a moment there was only silence, as if he’d entered an empty shell.

Dynan blinked, eyes focusing on the pillars that towered above him. He turned to look for the opening Alurn had shown him, but that side of the shelf was obscured by darkness. That told him the cave was there in the heaviest shadows.

He was weighed down by something, glued to the altar, but set his mind to break through it, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up. The sense of lethargy increased even as he managed to get one shoulder off the stone face. Muscles tore, sending more pain through his arms, down his back, everywhere, but he didn’t stop. If he didn’t get off the thing, that was it.

He forced his hand over to the edge, able to use the side for leverage. Dynan didn’t actually care if he managed to stand up. Rolling, prying, falling off. It didn’t matter as long as he managed the off part. He pried his other hand free and then moved a leg over the side. He kept telling himself it would work, the pain would stop when he was free. He rolled onto his side and no further, frozen in place. He couldn’t move.

“Dain,” he said in desperation. “You have to help me. Dain!”

“Ruuuuuuunnnn! Run, run, run, run. Ruuuuuuunnnn!”

Suddenly, that’s all Dynan could hear. He couldn’t stop it either. He had to ignore it just like Alurn said, but that too was difficult since Dain was right there. Dynan started separating from him, which would have put him on the shelf and attracted the Six or worse.

Dynan didn’t know what else to do, feeling the passage of time, still stuck to the altar, unable to reach Alurn. His strength seemed like it was draining away the longer he listened to the screams. Shutting Dain out wasn’t possible. The next alternative came to him.

Dynan turned inward, searching for the voice, the thought that was his brother. It took longer than he had to spare. Dynan finally found him though, curled up in a corner without light, trying to hide from the fear the demon had put into his mind, moaning from terror while his own screams echoed through a hollow chamber.

Dain didn’t know him. Dynan started to understand what Alurn meant and then what to do about it. He wondered if Dain would remember and hoped not.

Before Dain could run, Dynan grabbed him up, trying to contain his panic, talking to him, hoping to ease the terrible sense of fear that gripped him. Nothing worked and Dynan knew he was out of time to be gentle about it. Dain didn’t show any awareness of it when Dynan started apologizing to him, right before he cracked his head into the surrounding stone just hard enough to knock him out.

He cringed as he eased Dain down to the ground, a dirty stone floor that made him wonder what kind of prison he’d put himself in. Dynan looked around at the plain, windowless room and thought he might be safe here.

He went back in full control of Dain’s body.

It was different from the times they had switched places. There was always awareness of himself to his own body. That connection now existed to Dain. Dynan could feel the difference between them, sensing how Dain was physically stronger, more coordinated and way faster.