Drawn Blades (29 page)

The blur moved up . . . touched the top . . . and a mighty chime sounded, like the gods themselves striking a silver bell the size of the palace at Tien. The sky went gray and dark, though no cloud marred its vault.

Kelos’s shroud fell, exposing him in an awkward crouch atop the wall—poised on one hand and the balls of his feet. His other arm was stretched back behind him at an odd angle, and I realized that his hand was still on this side of the wall, almost as though it had caught in some invisible trap in the air when he tried to cross.

A webwork of lightning ripped across the sky, filling it from edge to edge with a net of bolts that burned on and on, unfading. Triss shrieked at the sudden brightness and hid himself within my shadow. A single thread of lightning rolled down from the sky to touch the wall between Kelos’s feet and hold there.

He bellowed like an old bull gored by a younger rival and his trailing hand opened convulsively. A narrow strip of brass flipped and spun upward from his palm. For one brief moment, it seemed to float in the air. Then the lightning thread moved, jumping from the wall to the key. The brass shone suddenly bright as it shot upward along the line of lightning.

The chime sounded again, lower and more brassy this time, and the lightning web shattered and went dark. The afterimage hung in front of my eyes for three long heartbeats. Then it, too, faded . . . sort of. The knots where lightning had met lightning hung on, and even started to grow larger as though they were falling from the sky.

I don’t . . .

What?
sent Triss.

And then I knew, and I started to laugh. It served the old bastard right.

What is it?

Before I could answer, a distant tinkle marked the sound of the first bit of falling brass hitting a roof in the city of Wall. All over the empire it was raining keys.

The wall,
I sent.
I should have realized what that meant when it sniffed around my swords, but I didn’t understand then that that was what was happening. It’s a ward against god-magic, specifically, the god-magic of the buried ones, and the key is very powerful god-magic indeed.

You mean that it’s here to stop the movement of the key specifically?

Not
just
the key, no, but the key is the most powerful manifestation of the buried gods, short of one of them showing up in person. Of course it can’t cross the wall.

I wonder what it would do to Ash’s sword?
asked Triss.

Nothing good.

When I caught up to Kelos, he was laughing, too.

*   *   *

“I’m
still not entirely sure that I understand what happened,” Faran said from her place beside the fire.

“The key can’t pass the ward of the wall,” I replied.

“Yeah, I got that part, but what happened to it? And, more importantly, why let him live?” She nodded toward Kelos, who was brooding on the far side of the hearth.

I shrugged. The four of us were sitting at the very end of one of the long narrow taverns on the human side of the city of Wall. The locals had scattered away from us like minnows who fear the shark.

I still wasn’t sure how Kelos had talked me out of killing him at the wall. Or, later, and even more surprisingly, talked Siri out of it. Part of that was convincing us that he still had too many secrets that we needed to know. Especially if we were going to do something about the Son of Heaven, an open question at the moment, though I was beginning to think I couldn’t leave it that way for much longer. But that wasn’t all of it, nor even most of it.

No, if I was going to be truly honest with myself, he had done it by being the father that neither of us had ever had. For both of us he stood on the threshold between love and hate. I don’t know about Siri, but while I might be able to kill Kelos in a fit of anger, or to prevent him doing some greater harm, I don’t think I could ever take his life simply for what he had done, however horrible.

It was ironic, really. If I were still the man he had tried to make me at the temple, he would already be dead. The young Aral, the black-and-white Aral, the Aral who had killed Ashvik? He would have killed Kelos without hesitation. It would have been the just decision. Now . . . well, the Aral of now hadn’t the certainty for it. As for Siri? I couldn’t speak for her reasons, but she didn’t seem any more capable of putting Kelos to death than I was. Perhaps the god in her head had burned away what certainty she had left.

As for Faran? She seemed to have gone along with the whole thing out of respect for Siri and me. That, or because the headaches continued and she didn’t want to start that argument with me quite yet—which was as likely an explanation as any. The look in her eyes when she glanced his way now was cold enough for that, and I suspected she was trying to figure out how exactly to take him when the time came.

In a move that seemed almost a deliberate confirmation of my suspicions there, her right hand fell to caress the hilts of the pair of Namara-forged swords leaning against the arm of her chair—Parsi’s. It was Faran who had taken them from the older Blade’s corpse, and I couldn’t fault her for it. I only regretted that Iander’s had fallen into the hands of the disquisition after his wind-carpet went down.

“Well?” She squeezed the nearer of the hilts as she prompted me again. It was a profoundly possessive gesture, and who could blame her? She had waited years for those swords. “What about all those keys? What was that about?”

“I really don’t know,” I said. “That wall is magic on a scale that’s hard to conceive. Siri’s the expert there. . . .”

Siri shook her head. “It’s beyond me, though I
can
speculate. Aral and Kelos each picked up two or three keys and looked them over closely.” She turned to me. “You said there was nothing special about them.”

“Except for the bit where they faded away a couple of hours later,” I replied.

Siri ran her fingers along the line of one faintly smoking braid. “The really big magics have a sort of life of their own. They have to in order to do their jobs, especially if they’re long lasting and the task they’re designed for is complex enough. The wall is the biggest and most permanent piece of magic I’ve ever heard of, and if there’s a task more complex than guarding against the constant attack of the buried gods, I have a hard time imagining it.”

“All right,” said Faran. “I’m with you so far.”

“The wall may not live and breathe and think in the way that we do, but neither does a Shade. And we would never underestimate them. What I think happened is that all of those keys were
the
key. At least in potential and for a little while. The wall’s purpose is to keep the buried gods under control. The awareness of the key and its position had them all waking up and wrenching themselves free of their graves. In order to end that uprising, the wall had to break the attention of the buried ones. It did that by scattering the focus across a million little shards of potential, only one of which would eventually become the true key again once it landed someplace safe. At least, that’s how it . . . feels to me.”

Triss and the other shades had chosen to remain concealed within our shadows—at least until we left the common room—though they had cheated the light a bit to put them all in contact.

Now he spoke into my mind.
If that feeling comes from where I think it does, better her than us.

I nodded.
We owe her. Now, more than ever.

Agreed.

I looked sadly at the stump of her left arm . . . and then had to suppress a sudden shiver.

What is it?
asked Triss.

I . . . It’s gone now, but for just a second I thought she’d grown a new hand. One of smoke . . .

I stood. “I think I need to get to bed. I’m feeling a bit woozy.”

“No surprise there,” said Siri. “You damned near bled out through that little cut on your ribs. If I hadn’t drawn the curse . . .” She looked down. “You scared me there, old friend.”

Me, too,
added Triss.

Kelos growled, “You should take better care of yourself, boy.”

And that was too much. I must either challenge the man or walk away for a time. I chose to walk away. I needed the sleep anyway.

As I closed the door of my room, Triss shaped himself out of shadows on the wall opposite the fireplace. “I wish I knew where the key went. We went through so much to try to recover it, and now it feels almost like we’ve lost.”

I smiled. “It was never really about the key, Triss. At least, not for its own sake. It was always about Siri and her problems. Going after the key was always a means toward that end.”

“I suppose. . . .” He didn’t seem entirely convinced.

“No supposing about it. We got into this because Siri needed our help. The Smoldering Flame was slowly devouring her. Without us he would have owned her soul.”

“But she’s still bound to him.”

“By her own choosing this time, and in a very different degree. The cost was high, but I think that we did what we set out to do, and that Siri would agree.”

“She would indeed,” said a voice from behind me.

I drew my swords and spun before my wits caught up with my reflexes and I recognized Siri’s laugh.

“Gently, Aral,” she said even as I relaxed. “It’s only me.” She was standing in the mouth of my empty hearth, and she smiled now, her teeth flashing white in the dark. She patted the mantelpiece. “I let myself in. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I replied.

“He’s right, Triss. When I needed you the most, you were there for me. I owe you my soul, and that’s a debt I can never properly repay.”

“There is no debt, Siri, not from my side of the ledger. If there’s anything I can do for you ever, all you have to do is ask. Speaking of which, I presume you came here for a reason beyond reassuring Triss. What do you want?”

“You.” She chuckled, low and wicked, sliding forward into a pool of light from the window as she slipped out of her shirt. “The mission is over, for now, and I thought it might be fun to shack up with my ex.”

“I think I could be convinced.” I sheathed my swords and stepped forward into her arms.

And so, it ended as it had begun, with the woman and the smoke without fire.

. . . Well, maybe a little fire.

Alinthide Poisonhand—
A master Blade, the third to die making an attempt on Ashvik VI.

Alley-Knocker—
An illegal bar or cafe.

Anaryan, Earl of—
A Zhani noble.

Anyang—
Zhani city on the southern coast. Home of the winter palace.

Aral Kingslayer—
Ex-Blade turned jack of the shadow trades.

Ashelia—
A smuggler.

Ashvik VI, or Ashvik Dan Pridu—
Late King of Zhan, executed by Aral. Also known as the Butcher of Kadesh.

Athera Trinity—
The three-faced goddess of fate.

Balor Lifending—
God of the dead and the next Emperor of Heaven.

Black Jack—
A professional killer or assassin.

Blade—
Temple assassin of the goddess Namara.

Blinds—
Charms of confusion and befuddlement, mostly used by thieves in the Magelands.

Bontrang—
A miniature gryphon.

Calren the Taleteller—
God of beginnings and first Emperor of Heaven.

Caras Dust—
Powerful magically bred stimulant.

Caras Seed-Grinder—
Producer of caras dust.

Caras Snuffler—
A caras addict.

Channary Canal—
Canal running from the base of the Channary Hill to the Zien River in Tien.

Channary Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.

Chenjou Peninsula—
The peninsula to the north of Tien.

Chief Marshal—
Head of the Zhani military.

Chimney Forest—
The city above, rooftops, etc.

Chimney Road—
A path across the rooftops of a city. “Running the chimney road.”

Coals—
Particularly hot stolen goods.

Code Martial—
Ancient system of Zhani law.

Cornerbright—
Magical device for seeing around corners.

Crownies—
A derogatory term for the Crown Guard in Zhan, used by the watch.

Crown Law—
Zhan’s modern legal system.

Dalridia—
Kingdom in the southern Hurnic Mountains.

Devin (Nightblade) Urslan—
A former Blade.

Dian—
A black jack in training in Tien.

Downunders—
A bad neighborhood in Tien.

Dracodon—
A large magical beast, renowned for the ivory in its tusks.

Dragon Crown—
The royal crown of Zhan, often replicated in insignia of Zhani Crown agents.

Drum-Ringer—
A bell enchanted to prevent eavesdropping.

Durkoth—
Others that live under the Hurnic Mountains.

Dustmen—
Dealers in caras dust.

Eavesman—
A spy or eavesdropper.

Elite, the—
Zhani mages. They fulfill the roles of secret police and spy corps among other functions.

Emberman—
A professional arsonist.

Emerald Throne—
The throne of the Sylvani Empire.

Erk Endfast—
Owner of the Spinnerfish, ex–black jack, ex–shadow captain.

Everdark, the—
The home dimension of the Shades.

Eyespy—
A type of eavesdropping spell.

Face, Facing—
Identity. “I’d faced myself as an Aveni bravo.”

Fallback—
A safe house.

Familiar Gift—
The ability to soul-bond with another being, providing the focus half of the power/focus dichotomy necessary to become a mage.

Faran—
A onetime apprentice Blade.

Fire and Sun!—
A Shade curse.

Ghost, Ghosting—
To kill.

Govana—
Goddess of the herds.

Gram—
The name of the world.

Greatspell—
A major permanent work of magic, usually tied to a physical item.

Gryphon’s Head—
A tavern in Tien, the capital city of Zhan. Informal office for Aral.

Guttersiders—
Slang for the professional beggars and their allies.

Hand of Heaven—
The Son of Heaven’s office of the inquisition.

Harad—
Head librarian at the Ismere Library.

Hearsay—
A type of eavesdropping spell.

Heyin—
Lieutenant of the exiled Baroness Marchon.

Highside—
Neighborhood on the bay side of Tien.

Howler—
Slang name for the Elite.

Inverted Crown—
A Zhani brand applied to the cheeks or foreheads of traitors.

Ismere Club—
A private club for merchants.

Ismere Library—
A private lending library in Tien, founded by a wealthy merchant from Kadesh.

Issa Fivegoats—
A sellcinders or fence.

Jack—
A slang term for an unofficial or extragovernmental problem solver; see also, shadow jack, black jack, sunside jack.

Jax Seldansbane—
A former Blade and onetime fiancée of Aral’s.

Jenua, Duchy of—
A duchy in Zhan.

Jerik—
The bartender/owner of the Gryphon’s Head tavern.

Jindu—
Tienese martial art heavily weighted toward punches and kicks.

Jinn’s—
A small cafe near the Ismere Library.

Kadeshar—
Chief city of Kadesh.

Kaelin Fei, Captain—
Watch officer in charge of Tien’s Silent Branch. Also known as the Mufflers.

Kaman—
A former Blade, crucified by the Elite, then killed by Aral at his own request.

Kanathean Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.

Kao-Li—
Fortress retreat of the Zhani royal family, upriver from Tien.

Kayarin Melkar—
A master Blade who joined the Son of Heaven after the fall of the temple.

Kelos Deathwalker—
A master Blade who taught Aral.

Keytrue—
A charm to prevent lock picking.

Khanates, the Four—
A group of interrelated kingdoms just north of Varya. Also known as the Kvanas.

Kijang, Duchy of—
A duchy in Zhan.

Kila—
The spirit dagger of the Blade, symbolizing his bond to Namara.

Kip-Claim—
Pawnshop.

Kodamia—
City-state to the west of Tien, controlling the only good pass through the Hurnic Mountains.

Kuan-Lun—
A water elemental, one of the great dragons.

Kvanas, the Four—
Group of interrelated kingdoms just north of Varya. Sometimes referred to as the Khanates.

Kyle’s—
An expensive Aveni whiskey.

Last Walk—
The road leading from the Smokeyard to the traitor’s gate in Tien.

Leyan—
A onetime journeyman Blade.

Little Varya—
An immigrant neighborhood in Tien.

Loris—
A former Blade.

Magearch—
Title for the mage governor of the cities in the Magelands.

Mageblind—
Mage term for those without magesight.

Mage Gift—
The ability to perform magic, providing the power half of the power/focus dichotomy necessary to become a mage.

Magelands—
A loose confederation of city-states governed by the faculty of the mage colleges that center them.

Magelights—
Relatively expensive permanent light globes made with magic.

Magesight—
The ability to see magic, part of the mage gift.

Mage Wastes—
Huge area of magically created wasteland on the western edge of the civilized lands.

Malthiss—
A Shade, familiar of Kelos Deathwalker.

Manny Three Fingers—
The cook at the Spinnerfish.

Marchon—
A barony in the kingdom of Zhan. The house emblem is a seated jade fox on a gold background.

Maylien Dan Marchon Tal Pridu—
A former client of Aral’s.

Mufflers—
Captain Fei’s organization, so known because they keep things quiet. Officially known as Silent Branch.

Nail-Puller—
Tienese street slang for a freelance torturer.

Namara—
The now-deceased goddess of justice and the downtrodden, patroness of the Blades. Her symbol is an unblinking eye.

Nest-Not—
A ward to prevent vermin infestations.

Niala—
A Varyan liquor flavored with efik.

Nightcutter—
Assassin.

Nightghast—
One of the restless dead, known to eat humans.

Night Market—
The black market.

Nima—
Mana, the stuff of magic.

Nipperkins—
Magical vermin.

Noble Dragons—
Elemental beings that usually take the form of giant lizardlike creatures.

Nuriko Shadowfox—
A legendary renegade Blade killed by Kelos Deathwalker. Also known as the Kitsune.

Oil-Smear—
A charm to ward against eyespys.

Old Mews—
An upscale neighborhood in Tien that burned to the ground.

Orisa—
God of sailors.

Oris Plant—
A common weed that can be used to produce a cheap gray dye or an expensive black one.

Others—
The various nonhuman races.

Palace Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.

Petty Dragons—
Giant acid-spitting lizards, not to be confused with noble dragons.

Poison—
Gutter slang meaning toxic or too hot to deal with.

Precasts—
Active spells kept precast and at the ready.

Pridu Dynasty—
Hereditary rulers of Zhan from around 2700 to the present day.

Prixia Dan Xaia—
Clan chief of Xankou.

Qamasiin—
A spirit of air.

Quink—
Slang word meaning, roughly, freak.

Rabbit Run—
An emergency escape route.

Rehira—
A high-end black jack in Tien, one of the few who’s not a mage.

Render’s Way—
A street in Tien.

Reshi—
A clanate in northern Zhan.

Resshath—
Shade term of respect meaning, roughly, teacher or sensei.

Restless Dead—
Catchall term for the undead.

Riel—
Currency of Zhan, issued in both silver and gold.

Right of Challenge—
Part of Zhan’s old Code Martial.

Risen, the—
A type of restless dead, similar to a zombie.

Royal Monetist—
Chief financial official of Zhan.

Sailmaker’s Street—
A street in Tien.

Sanjin Island—
Large island in the river below the palace in Tien.

Scheroc—
A qamasiin, or air spirit.

Sellcinders—
A fence or dealer in hot merchandise.

Serass—
A Shade, familiar of Alinthide.

Shade—
Familiar of the Blades, a living shadow.

Shadow Captain—
A mob boss.

Shadow Jack—
A jack who earns his living as a problem solver in the shadow trades.

Shadowside—
The underworld or demimonde.

Shadow-Slipping—
The collective name for the various stealth techniques of Namara’s Blades.

Shadow Trades—
The various flavors of illegal activity.

Shadow World—
The demimonde or underworld.

Shaisin—
Small town in Zhan, baronial seat of Marchon.

Shanglun—
A river dragon.

Shan Starshoulders—
The god who holds up the sky, current Emperor of Heaven, lord of stability.

Shatternot—
A charm to keep windows from breaking.

Shinsan—
A water elemental, one of the great dragons.

Shrouding—
When a Shade encloses his Blade in shadow.

Silent Branch—
The official name of the Mufflers.

Siri Mythkiller—
A former Blade.

Skaate’s—
A premium Aveni whiskey.

Skip—
A con game or other illegal job, also a “play.”

Sleepwalker—
An efik addict.

Slink—
Magical vermin.

Slip—
A person who tries to get out of paying back a moneylender. Also known as a debt slip.

Smokeyard—
The prison in Zhan where traitors are held on their way to execution.

Smuggler’s Rest—
The unofficial name of the docks near the Spinnerfish.

Snicket—
Alley.

Snug—
A resting place or residence.

Son or Daughter of Heaven—
The title of the chief priest or priestess who leads the combined religions of the eleven kingdoms.

Sovann Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.

Spinnerfish, the—
A shadowside tavern by the docks.

Sshayar—
A Shade, familiar of Jax.

Ssithra—
A Shade, familiar of Faran.

Starshine—
Elemental being of light.