Nightfall: Book Two of the Chronicles of Arden (12 page)

Joel swallowed and looked down at the table. “I’m sorry to speak out of place. But, Highness, you yourself have said nothing good can come from sending our people across the border.”

Neetra scoffed. “Koal, you would do well to teach your son how to behave in the presence of grown men.”

Liro laughed. It sounded like a dry cough. The room began to spin out of control, and all Joel could do was focus on getting his ragged breathing back under control.

It seemed no one was going to say another word until the King, of all people, responded. His laugh was broken. “Joel is the only one speaking any sense. But seeing as I am clearly out-voted, I suppose his and my unpopular opinion will have to remain just that.”

Joel dared look up but froze when he realized the King’s dark eyes were focused on him.

“Seneschal Koal has spoken. He will go because I have yet to find a force to reckon with his will.”

King Rishi was sorry. Joel could see it in the King’s eyes. He couldn’t say it here, but he was apologizing. Joel nodded stiffly, but the seed of a new idea had already taken root in his heart. As the others continued to speak, it took bloom.

“Who else will be going then?” Neetra asked. The High Councilor looked like he’d been slapped in the face. “Liro has an excellent wealth of knowledge, and he is all but ready to step onto the High Council. He would make a useful addition to the team.”

Koal narrowed his eyes. “No! There’s no reason to send young men into this potentially dangerous situation—”

“Highness,” Cenric cut in before any argument between Koal and Liro could explode. “I think it would also be expected that
some
member of the royal family attend—”

King Rishi and Hasain responded at once. The King adamantly declined even as Hasain shot up from his chair. “I could go! I’m a Radek, but not a crowned prince! Arden wouldn’t have to risk their royalty.”

“
None
of my children will cross that border!”

Hasain was just as sharp in his retort. “Very well. Anger the Northern Empire and seal our fates.” The King whipped around to glare at him, and Joel thought it almost comical how much they looked alike in their anger. If not for the King’s long braid and thin mustache, or Hasain’s youth, they could have been brothers with their matching golden skin and defiant almond eyes.

Neetra jumped back into the fray. “If I will not be going then at least take my understudy! The High Council will demand one of our own be on the inside.”

“I am fully confident in my capability,” Liro agreed.

Joel closed his eyes against the whirlwind of voices and opinions. It was too much. How could anyone glean anything from this pandemonium?

“
Enough!
” King Rishi leapt from his seat and paced the length of the room. “Koal is seneschal and can make decisions on my behalf. He will have to go.”

Joel stiffened in his seat. “Da, please!”

Koal’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “Not here, Joel. Not now.”

Face unbearably hot, Joel opened his mouth to object, but the King spoke over him. “Cenric, you are the only one with past experience. You will have to go.”

Cenric gave a modest bow from his seat. “Of course, my King.”

“Then I must go as well!” Joel exclaimed. There, he’d said it. Heart hammering, the young mage continued. “I am still Cenric’s understudy. I must follow where he goes.”

Koal was on his feet in an instant and bearing down on his son. Joel couldn’t remember a time he’d been more intimidated by his father. “This mission will be too dangerous for an understudy. There is no way you’re going. That’s the end of it!”

“This is how envoys are trained! If I don’t go to this mission I may as well admit I’m a coward and stay in Silver City for the rest of my life—”

Koal whirled to face the King. “Tell him he can’t go. This is no place for an understudy.”

“This is no place for any of us!” King Rishi continued his long strides back and forth, face drawn into a grim frown. His eyes flicked to Joel, who for a moment feared the worst, but then the King’s attention refocused onto Cenric. “Must royalty go? Jorja’s family is distant. I have none save my children, and they are either too young or not in line for the throne.”

Cenric glanced sideways at Hasain and kept his voice low. “It could perhaps be a son not in line for the throne, Highness.”

The King grew silent and stopped in his tracks, his back to the other men. The air was stagnant and palpable, yet the quiet was utterly deceptive. This was the calm before the storm. Back straight and rigid, King Rishi issued a growl so low and feral it barely sounded human at all. “I will sooner go to war than send any of my children across the border.”

Hasain flew to his feet. “This is nonsense! You are impeding our progress, and you know it!”

The King spun around, grabbed a chair, and threw it across the room. His voice was a terrible shriek, like some wounded animal. “I am your
king
! I said no!
You are not going!
”

Joel found himself pulling back, trying to distance himself from them as much as possible. Hasain, on the other hand, dove straight into the line of fire. “You can’t do this. You can’t condemn an entire country to preserve one life!”

“I am the King. I can do whatever the hell I want! I can even arrest you if you dare defy me!”

Hasain shook his head, eyes visibly wet, even in the low light. “No.”

“
No?
”

“No.” Hasain didn’t back down. “It’s a crime to defy the
king
but you aren’t being my king. Right now you’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Right now you’re being my father.”

Joel couldn’t breathe. Between his own father’s heavy glare and the King’s deafening silence, no air was left in the room. No one moved or dared say a word until at long last King Rishi turned on one heel and made for the door. “Fine. Go. Take any who will go with you. Meet your doom and go to hell!”

Aodan was on the King’s trail even as he flung the door open. Koal stretched out one hand in protest. “Rishi, wait! Damn it!” He took chase as well, pausing in the doorway long enough to dismiss the rest of the gathered men. “Get out of here, all of you. I’ll let you know when I have the final list of who’s going.” Then he turned and flew down the corridor, his red cape billowing behind him.

“At the beginning of all, the Two Goddesses, Daya and Chhaya, created the Otherealm, a world of magic, and ruled in peace. But there came a time when They grew lonely. Their love for one another was all-encompassing and with that love and Their magic They forged Children for themselves. One thousand immortal Children were created to populate the world with them, and They were happy.

“However, even immortals grasp the passage of time and eventually some of the Children became filled by corruption. Powerful and greedy, they were disobedient to their Mothers, and The Two were hurt and unhappy. They decided to try again, to make a more obedient race of children.

“So Daya and Chhaya created the mortal world, Temhara, and filled it with humanity. Though the humans lived short lives, they knew their creators and respected them. Humans didn’t live long enough to become greedy as the Children in the Otherrealm had, and they wielded no magic, for back in the beginning, magic did not exist in the mortal realm.

“The creation of the mortal world and the humans caused the one thousand Children to despair. How could their Mothers betray them and choose to love another race? So their eldest and favorite Child, the Blessed Son of Light, decided to go to war against the humans and the mortal world. He rallied as many Children together as would follow and set to destroy those who had stolen the love of The Two.

“The Blessed Son of Light was the first Child created by The Two and was one of Their favorites. However, another Child who had been forged much later was also a favorite, and he felt compassion for the human race. This pale Child was known for his kind heart and gentle spirit, so much that the other half of the original one thousand Children gladly followed him into battle against the Son of Light.

“The Great War tore the mortal world asunder, and for a time there was worry humanity would die out. The Blessed Son of Light and pale Child fought ruthlessly against one another. Their battle was so fierce it created cracks deep enough so that the magic from the Otherealm leaked through. The brothers fought until their great love for one another withered away and was lost.

“Hurt by the apparent betrayal of his Mothers and the loss of his brother’s love, the Blessed Son of Light struck one last time in desperation to rid the realms of humanity. But what the Son did not know was that his brother had fallen in love with a human woman, and when his final blow fell, the woman was killed. The pale Child’s grief was so great that the Son became remorseful and finally abandoned the Great War.

“The pale Child went to The Two and begged for his love to be raised from death so they might be together, at least for the short length of her mortal lifetime. The Two mourned for their Child’s broken heart but would not raise her. Shattered beyond repair, the pale Child fled his Mothers and Their love to grow bitter. His anger and resentment eventually caused him to hate humanity. This pale Child became known as the Love-Lost Child.

“As a result of the Great War, the Blessed Son of Light became a beacon of hope for humanity, vowing to never try to wipe them from existence again. He instead took them under his guidance and, even now, gives gifts to those he deems worthy. He shows favor to humans until the Love-Lost Child returns to take his place as the one who loved them first. He always hopes his brother will return to him and to the ways of good.”

Calisto stopped to take a drink after reading the entire passage. He cradled the book,
Tales of Fae
, as if it were a small child or something equally precious. One of the texts from the Adelwijn’s personal library, it was the favorite of many and had been one of the first books Gib had cut his teeth on.

Gib nodded with a smile, encouraging his brother to continue. Already, at only thirteen years of age, Calisto could read as well, if not better, than Gib. Earlier in his life, Gib might have been embarrassed by this, but now he couldn’t help but swell with pride. Cal would do well for himself at this rate. He wished their parents could be here to see.

Calisto frowned down at the text for a moment. “So why do people worship The Two? Because they created everything?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Gib peered out the study window, searching the courtyard of the Adelwijn estate below and wondering when Joel would return. It was already well past midday meal and he was still nowhere to be seen. “The temple in Willowdale pays homage to The Two.”

Calisto’s brows knitted high on his forehead. “But the temple in the palace doesn’t? Didn’t you say that one was for someone else?”

“The royal temple worships the Blessed Son.” Gib turned his back to the window. Watching it wasn’t going to make Joel arrive any faster. “You see, back before Arden was its own country, the people used to worship the Son of Light instead.”

“Why?”

“Because the Son realized he was doing wrong by humanity and decided to fight for us instead of against us. When Arden pulled away from the Northern Empire, there weren’t laws to tell the people who to worship anymore. So people from different lands brought religions from their countries here. That’s why some temples worship the two goddesses, Chhaya and Daya, and some worship the Son.”

“Well, which one’s right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Which temple is right? Who should people worship?”

Gib rubbed the back of his neck. Hell, he’d never thought of that before. Back when they’d had the farm, there hadn’t been time to worship anyone. “I don’t think it matters so much
who
you worship so long as you’re doing your best to be a good person.” When he was met with a dubious look, Gib chuckled and went on. “I mean, if you listen to the story, it was really about not harming one another. The Children of The Two became jealous and tried to hurt humanity. But the Love-Lost Child decided not to hurt others and eventually the Blessed Son of Light changed his mind as well.”

Calisto cocked his head to one side and pondered. “So that’s why the law protects the different temples? So people can worship whoever they want?” He didn’t wait long enough for Gib to answer. “We were taught in class today that some places even worship other Children of The Two. Not just the Son.”

“That’s right. Gyptia and Shantar worship many different Children and have temples for them all.” The sound of the front door opening and closing didn’t go unnoticed, and Gib had to force himself not to peek out into the hall. Had he missed Joel’s approach? “Some countries even allow Otherfolk access to their temples.”

Stars shone in the youngster’s eyes. “Otherfolk? Like the people who aren’t human?”

The sound of approaching footsteps in the hallway flitted into the room, but Gib tried to remain focused on the conversation. “Yeah. Like the goblins, demharlins, and—” He searched back in his memory but couldn’t recall the word he was looking for. “The snake Folk. I can’t remember their right name.”

“Naga.”

Both Nemesio brothers turned to look at Joel, who stood beneath the arched doorframe. The mage’s fair face was drawn, and his guarded eyes concealed some unknown emotion Gib couldn’t readily place. Gib wanted to go to him but something in Joel’s stance suggested he wasn’t ready to be approached. Despite any apparent discomfort, he was lovely, and Gib longed to touch him.

“The naga,” Joel continued in a neutral tone, “are indigenous to the jungles of Shantar and Beihai.”

“Indige—what?” Calisto blinked, looking from his brother to Joel and back again.

When Gib shrugged, offering only a sheepish smile, Joel favored them with a smile of his own and went on. He came fully into the room and sat on the window sill. “Indigenous. It means that’s where they live, where they come from. The naga are believed to be the children of Jahara, one of the Children of The Two. They help protect the jungles of Shantar and Beihai, and in return, the people do not persecute them.”

“Why would anyone want to hurt them?” Calisto asked. He closed the
Tales of Fae
and smiled in a dreamy sort of way. “It would be a great adventure to go out into the unknown and meet all the different kinds of Otherfolk. Why do the laws here keep humans and Otherfolk separate?”

Gib was still at a loss. This was something else he’d never had time to think about. Apart from the tall tales he’d heard in the market in Willowdale, he’d never paid any mind to the Otherfolk.

Joel sighed. “Well, the law which prohibits humans from interacting with the Otherfolk is an old one and could perhaps be done away with, but unfortunately it rarely comes up as a topic of interest. Folk do not naturally inhabit the land near Silver, where the majority of Arden’s laws are made and unmade. If there is no one to bring interest to an old law, it can’t be contested, can it?”

“I suppose not.” Calisto scuffed a foot across the floor. “It seems unfair. Folk can’t help being born Folk any more than Gib and I could help being born poor. And why keep humans and Otherfolk separate anyway?”

“Many people think the Otherfolk are violent. We’ve been told from a young age to be wary of any who are different from us. There are stories of children being lost in the mountains and woods, so people assume the Folk must be the ones to blame.”

“Are they really dangerous?”

Joel shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never known any in person, and I wouldn’t presume to judge.”

Calisto stuck out his bottom lip. Gib knew that look anywhere. Surely the youth was thinking up more questions even now, but instead of asking them, he delved back into the book.

Joel cleared his throat. “Gib? Could I see you for a moment?”

Something is wrong
. Gib tried not to frown. “Uh, sure. Here? Or—”

A moment’s hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. Calisto lifted his face from reading and rolled his eyes. “Go ahead. Go be
alone
.”

Gib wanted to be able to laugh, but Joel’s demeanor made him think twice. With a small nod to his brother, Gib crossed the room. Joel didn’t wait for Gib to close the gap. Before he could reach out and touch his companion, Joel turned on his heels and made for the door. If Calisto noticed, he didn’t say anything. Gib wished he could be so lucky.

Joel led the way into the sitting room. Otos must have recently stoked the fire. The heat emitted from the flames engulfed the entire room, yet Gib couldn’t seem to find any warmth. Joel’s cold disposition sapped it all.

They went to the couch and sat down, side by side. Gib stole a worried glance at his companion. “Joel, what’s wrong?”

The mage didn’t immediately answer. He turned his face to the hearth, staring at the roaring fire. The flames danced, reflecting off his endless blue eyes. “My father is going to the Northern Empire.”

Gib blinked, momentarily unable to comprehend the other man’s words.
The Northern Empire? The same country Arden fought so hard to free itself from all those generations ago?
“I don’t—what? Why? How did this happen?”

Joel kept his voice neutral, as though he’d been training to deliver the news for years. “It appears the Northern Empire wants to meet with Arden to discuss a peace treaty. They asked the King himself to go, but Father and King Rishi agreed it was too dangerous, given the King’s past dealings with the Empire.” Deep despair crossed Joel’s fair features. “I tried to talk Father out of going, but he wouldn’t hear it.”

“Why Koal? Surely someone else could go. The seneschal is needed here!”

“Father is the Right Hand of King Rishi. He can make executive decisions on behalf of our country.” Joel sighed. “Truth be told, I believe he made the decision to go because the next choice was to send Neetra.”

Gib winced. “Neetra can’t be trusted with such an immense task.”

“Exactly.”

Head still spinning, Gib reached out and took Joel’s hands.
No wonder he’s sad. He’s worried for his father. Hell, I’m worried! But I need to be here for Joel, now more than ever
.
Stay calm. Breathe
. “When does Koal leave?”

“On the morn.”

“So soon?”

Joel nodded. “Yes.”

Gib scooted closer to Joel, lifting one hand to stroke the side of his face. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need—”

“Father isn’t the only person going.”

A spike of dread shot from Gib’s stomach to his throat. “O–oh? W–who else?” He had to force the words from his mouth.

Joel stared hard at the floor.

Why won’t he look at me?

“Ambassador Cenric is the only living envoy in all of Arden who’s been to the Northern Empire. He’s familiar with the culture and the differences in language.”

“Cenric is going?”

“Yes.” Joel took a deep breath and grasped Gib’s hands. They trembled together, and Joel could barely meet Gib’s eyes. “Gib, I’m going, too.”