The Nemesis Blade (38 page)

He moved on
and then froze. Light spilled from a doorway further along as
someone came out. A man, and he headed the other way, unaware.

Tristan waited
until he disappeared around the corner and then hastened forward.
Vanar would keep Rose separate. She had to be in one of the
staterooms bordering the ostentatious courtyard.

The courtyard
was dark and he walked across casually. On the far side were four
large bedrooms, used rarely, for lengthy stays. As far as he knew
there was no one in Menllik requiring the arrangement.

The doors gave
direct access to the courtyard and were widely spaced. All four
were shut and he came to an uncertain halt. Beside each door was a
window, but all were dark, drapes drawn.

It was not
that late, he thought. He had hoped Rose would be awake. Light
would be an excellent clue. He frowned and moved forward, starting
at the left door. An ear to the wood gave only silence, as did the
second one. He bypassed the third, certain Rose would be behind the
door on the right.

Vanar’s sense
of symmetry.

He stood
before the fourth door and listened.

Nothing. Damn
it.

He dared not
knock, for he noted the guard’s shadow to the left of the
courtyard. He may not raise the alarm, but he may also do just
that.

Tristan drew
breath and transported into the stateroom.

She was there,
asleep in the massive bed with a lone candle flickering uncertain
light. She seemed lost in the huge space, vulnerable, lonely,
childlike.

His heart
constricted.

He tiptoed
forward and stood staring down at her. Golden curls in disarray,
thumb in mouth, dark lashes fluttering.

Controlling an
impulse that would have him gather her into his arms, he touched
her lightly on the shoulder.

“Rose!” he
called out softly.

She did not
react. He called again, shaking her gently. Again she did not
stir.

He
straightened and then closed his eyes to call to her with
farspeaker talents.

She sat up,
instantly alert.

“Rose, right
here, don’t be frightened.”

Large blue
eyes turned to him and then she smiled. “The air I breathe.”

A new gut
punch. “I need your help.”

Rose rubbed
her eyes, yawned, stretched and each movement had him transfixed.
She smiled again. “I assume Vanar doesn’t know of this visit?”

He swallowed
and sat on the bed. “No. How can you be so casual? Here I am,
sneaked into your bedroom, and you think nothing of it?”

“You have
self-control, Tristan. Had it been another, even one of your
cousins, I would shout for help.”

He nodded.
“All right.” Thank god Teroux had not come.

She threw back
the covers - she had a long nightgown on, thank Aaru - and
clambered off.

“Excuse me a
minute,” she muttered and headed for the bathroom.

While she was gone, he moved over to the sitting area to
fling into an armchair. Gods, she
was
dangerous.

“Tristan? Do
you want something to drink?”

She put a
light on in a small kitchen alcove and looked his way expectantly.
She had donned a thick gown over her nightdress. “Coffee, if it’s
not too much trouble.”

“My one vice,
too.”

She busied
herself and he watched her, trying hard not to. Despite being
covered head to toe, she was alluring. Caballa was beautiful, more
so than Rose, but Rose was sexy.

Tristan forced
his gaze away.

She brought a
tray over and placed it on the coffee table. “I am glad you came.
I’m out of my mind with boredom.”

He took a mug,
added a spoon of sugar, stirred. “You should be allowed to return
to Xen.”

“No, I like it
here. I’m not really complaining.” She helped herself and then sat
on the chair closest to him. “Why the sneaky visit?”

“I need to
find something out covertly.”

“And the
farspeaker chain would help?”

“I believe so.
Rose, I’m asking, not demanding.”

She dimpled.
“You have good manners, I know.”

“Will you
help?”

Rose
considered. “First I need to know who you seek to connect
with.”

He considered
in turn, which he had not before. Who would know the truth? And
tell it? He groaned and lay back against the seat. The only ones
who would know were connected to Torrullin, and would not reveal
anything. They would also inform on him.

“Problem?”
Rose questioned.

“Yes.”

“All right,
try this, what are you trying to find out?”

“How would
that help you?”

“I know
people, certain folk I could contact for certain, er, truths.”

He stared at
her and decided not to point out Vanar would go ape shit if she
heard that. “Another problem for me.”

Beautifully
arched brows lifted. “You don’t know who to connect with and you
don’t know what to ask. Under these conditions, I can’t help
you.”

“I had not
thought it through, I guess.”

She put her
mug down. “Someone withholds something from you, right? You know
that is so, but don’t know what it is. Fine. Try this, would the
Valleur Elders know?”

“Bare minimum
- dear gods, you could invade their thoughts?”

“But they
would know. You don’t want that. If they know little, it isn’t
worth the effort anyway.”

“True.”

“Tristan, I
would love to help, but you have to help me help you.”

“I see that.
Fine, I suspect we may be in some kind of danger. It doesn’t scare
me exactly, but I prefer being prepared.”

“And who knows
the facts - what do you mean ‘danger’?”

He gave a
shrug. “That’s just it, I don’t know.”

“Well, you
should, it’s only fair. Who would know?”

He grinned.
“Torrullin.”

She stared at
him. “I cannot take the chain to Elixir.”

“He wouldn’t
let you in.”

“Hell, you do
have a problem.”

Finishing his
coffee, he rose. “I’m sorry I woke you unnecessarily.”

“Sit, Tristan.
Daisy will know; I could use the chain to have someone speak to
him.”

Tristan sat.
Daisy would know? “How would he know?”

“Our friend at
the enclave keeps his ear close to the proverbial ground. If crap
is flying somewhere, Daisy already knows.” She smiled her delight
at him.

He gaped and
then laughed. “Fine, if you’re willing, have someone ask Daisy what
he has heard about danger to the Valla heirs.”

“I will do it,
but an answer will come only in a few hours.”

Tristan rose.
“Shall I return before dawn, then?”

She smiled up
at him. “You could stay.”

“No, I could
not.”

“You’re safe
from me, Tristan.”

He cleared his
throat. Maybe so, but was she safe from him? “I’ll come back
later.”

“I’ll be
awake.”

Rose was on
the bed when he returned - having spent the intervening hours
pacing his bedroom at the Palace - and this time she was awake,
sitting in meditative pose.

She opened one
eye as he arrived, motioned with one finger and closed that eye
again. Obviously she was in the depths of communication.

Tristan spent
more time pacing, aware of her, but his thoughts were far away.
Largely they concentrated on Torrullin; he wondered what exactly
Elixir was up to at present.

He found
himself wondering about the Lumin Sword. The strangest feeling
overcame him that it would soon be in play, but in a manner no one
could now foresee.

An expansive
sigh sounded behind him and he saw her sitting with head
hanging.

“Are you all
right?”

She lifted her
head. “Tired.” She patted the bed. “Come sit and let me tell you. I
need to sleep soon.”

Reluctantly he
sat.

“Without
mapping the twists in getting Daisy to talk via a third party,
there’s this. Daisy has information gleaned from Xen’s underground.
He has a brother who isn’t as law abiding, you understand? Don’t
let on; he’ll not be happy. Anyway, apparently there is lots of
action out in Kora City, as in rumours of weapons going to Lax, a
mighty raid on the smugglers and Kaval coming and going. Seems
there is an army gathering on Lax, potentially an enemy of
Sanctuary, with you three Vallas regarded as a universal
threat.”

“Crap,”
Tristan breathed.

“My feelings
also,” Rose said. “To continue, the underground informant network
is activate and connections track out to Ymir, Lax, Excelsior,
Beacon and others. The latest rumour is, Elixir intends to come
down on Lax’s army with intent, meaning he intends to route the
whole lot of them.”

“Hell.”

“Right, and
not good for Sanctuary’s reputation.”

“They aim to
take Sanctuary on!”

“Maybe, but
they haven’t actually done anything. It’s going in before the fact
and Sanctuary will suffer for it.”

“He must wait
until they show aggression?”

“I am on your
side. I merely put to you how it appears out there.”

“Sorry.
Anything else?”

“The only
other thing I kind of got from Daisy is there seems to be a
blackout on Kaval transparency.”

“Meaning?”

“They are
doing covert work and nobody is talking. If I were to hazard a
guess I would say it goes beyond a strike on Lax.”

Tristan lapsed
into thoughtful mode.

“Tristan,
that’s it. I really need to sleep now.”

He rose with
alacrity, hearing the thread of exhaustion in her voice. Daisy,
with his stubborn twists, had tired her.

“Thank you for
your help, Rose.”

She smiled.
“Anytime. Go now.”

He retreated
and she climbed under the covers and was instantly asleep.

Tristan stood
watching her a few minutes more and then left.

The first
person he saw as he returned to the island in the west was
Fuma.

Scantily clad
on a freezing morning, Fuma paid homage to the new day. He stood
with arms raised high, a strange and unknown language falling
rhythmically from his tongue. His bare feet massaged the wet sand
of the beach.

Arms lowered
and Fuma speared Tristan with a sharp gaze. “What did you find out
during the night?”

Tristan smiled
wryly. “You knew?”

“I sensed a
difference in you.”

“What are you
doing out here?”

“A ritual I
enact when I am on a world where a sun does rise.”

“Ah. Aren’t
you cold?”

“I rarely feel
the cold. Young man, what did you uncover?”

“I hear of an
imminent strike against Lax.”

Fuma pursed
his lips and then, “Not Lax per say; a secret army there.”

“Torrullin
commanded it?”

“Of
course.”

“Folk say
Sanctuary’s reputation will suffer for it.”

Fuma smiled.
“Trust me; no one will be able to point a finger at Kaval or
Elixir.”

“Good.”

Fuma eyed the
oldest Valla heir. “Tristan, all you need do is wait on the
Throne’s choice; nothing will be withheld after that.”

Tristan gazed
over the grey ocean. “I have been shying from the event for months,
and now it seems unreachable.”

“That is
impatience talking.”

“Maybe.”

Tristan headed
back to the Palace.

Chapter 29

What is true
justice? If sentience is subjective, how does one measure true
justice?

~ Book of
Sages

Grinwallin

T
eighlar was in the library, but
before Torrullin confronted him he spoke to Dechend.

From him he
heard of Erin’s enquiries and also what was said to her. Nodding
his thanks, he ambled over to the library.

Before he got
there, the air around him seemed to heave.

A man ambled
through misty treacle before him, one hand gesticulating as if
punctuating his words with actions. A dark-haired man.

Torrullin
swallowed and came to a halt, watching dark hair swing as the man
walked.

Elianas.

He closed his
eyes against the vision, needing it to leave in order to function,
but his gut churned. He knew, without doubt, the time was near. Any
day now he would see this man in the flesh.

Gripping the
sword he had named Elianas in a fit of fury, he reopened his
eyes.

No one
there.

Shaking,
Torrullin moved on.

In the
library, Teighlar looked up with an absent smile. “Back again?”

Four scribes
were busy in one corner and two Senlu read before the fireplace.
Teighlar appeared immersed in a book about … geology?

Teighlar
tapped the tome. “Luvanor is a mite older than I thought.”

“Perhaps
because of a long history on Orb.”

Teighlar
stilled and then closed the volume with a snap. He glanced around
the book-lined chamber and stood.

“Perhaps we
should talk outside.”

A grim smile.
“Perhaps, yes.”

Teighlar
sucked at his teeth and wordlessly led Torrullin out onto the
portico. Once there they stared over Tunin bathed in glorious
sunshine.

No words
passed between them.

After a time
Torrullin suggested, “A walk in the forest?”

Teighlar led
the way to the little postern gate in the north wall. Once in the
sun-dappled realm of trees, he said, “Light and shadows, not
so?”

“Hmm,” was the
only response.

“Torrullin, I
hate it when you get like this.”

“How?”

“Secretive.”

Torrullin
barked a laugh.

Teighlar paced
towards the steep path leading to the mighty precipice.

“In the mood
for danger, old friend?” Torrullin remarked.

“Scared,
Elixir?” Teighlar snapped, and picked up the pace.