The Shadow Of What Was Lost (66 page)

"We know, Dav. The chances
of getting anything useful are slim - we just thought it might be worth
trying." Asha laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "If you don't think
it is, though, I'm sure there are other ways you can help." To her side,
Wirr nodded his agreement.

Davian thought for several more
seconds, then shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I'll do
it. If there's even a slight possibility we can get answers from him, then we
should try."

Wirr quickly related how to get
to the Tol and then glanced at the door, clearly anxious to leave. "I hate
to go so soon, Dav, but I need to get away from here before an Administrator
finds me. The El-cursed Fourth Tenet is an awfully dangerous thing right now,"
he said, looking nervous. "I'm going to head to Fedris Idri until my
father sends word that everything is under control; it's unlikely
Administration will try anything while I'm surrounded by my uncle's soldiers.
Find me there if you discover anything important." He embraced Davian.
"Fates, it's good to have you back. When this is all over, we'll celebrate
your return from the dead. Properly."

"I'd expect nothing
less." Davian turned to Asha, and they both hesitated for a second. Then
she wrapped him in a long, tight hug, her cheek against his.

"Be careful," she said
softly. "We have some things to talk about when this is all over."

Davian gave her a gentle squeeze.
"I know. You too, Asha."

Wirr was standing impatiently by
the door. "You can find your own way out?"

Davian nodded. "As long as
the guards at the gate won't stop me."

"They won't," Wirr
promised. "Give me five minutes to speak to them, then head out."

With that, he left. Asha paused
in the doorway, giving him one last, brilliant smile over her shoulder before
she followed suit.

Davian sat, still trying to
comprehend everything that had just taken place. Asha was alive. It didn't seem
possible, was too good to be true. After all he'd endured over the past few
months, this was a ray of hope, of happiness, he'd not dared to think was
possible.

Suddenly the door was opening
again, and Davian leapt up warily.

"Davian?" A scarred
face peered into the room.

"Taeris!" Davian
relaxed again, smiling. He gave a soft laugh of relief. "Is everyone I
know at the palace today? How did you know I was here?"

"A friend mentioned
it." Taeris made a face. "Word tends to get around when the man we're
depending on to defend us goes completely mad."

"Ah. Yes." Davian
crossed the room, embracing the older man. "It's good to see you
again."

"You too, lad. Fates, you
too." Taeris smiled, and Davian suddenly noticed a long, pink scar across
his cheek, overlaid on some of the others. It looked fresher, newly healed.

"Where's Caeden?"
Davian's heart suddenly dropped. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Taeris
rushed to assure him.

"And his memories?"

Taeris took a deep breath.
"Nothing so far - but given how close the Blind are getting, I'm going to
see if we can do something about that in a few hours." He outlined his
plan to break into Tol Athian using the Travel Stones.

Davian gave a thoughtful nod once
he was finished. "I'm about to go there myself," he said. "If
there's any way I can help keep them off your backs, I will."

"I appreciate that,
lad." Taeris smiled. "So. Where have you been?"

Davian opened his mouth to reply,
then hesitated. He didn't believe what Driscin had told him, and yet.... the
man from Tol Shen hadn't lied.

"I'll explain in a moment,
but first I need to know something. When was the first time you saw me?”

Taeris blinked, surprised by the
question. “The day you were attacked, of course,” he said, looking puzzled.
“Why do you ask?”

Davian stiffened. It was faint,
but it was there - pain in his temples.

Taeris was lying, and trying to
mask it.

"I see." He was silent
for a moment, trying to contain his suddenly roiling emotions. “Tell me... did
you plan it? When I got this.” He raised his head, pointing to his scar. “Did
you get those men to rough me up so that I would get scared, be forced to find
my powers? Was it all a plan that went horribly wrong? Is
that
why you
saved me?”

Taeris paled. “Of course not,” he
said hurriedly. “Who has been telling you this? I’d never….” He trailed off as
he saw Davian’s expression.

Once again, that faint but
insistent throbbing. Another lie.

Davian couldn’t take it any more,
couldn’t stand to be in the same room as this man.

"I have to go, Taeris,"
he said softly, hurt and disbelief making his voice tight. "Just... don't
follow me."

He walked out without another
word, blocking out whatever Taeris called after him, emotions churning. He
hadn't found the allies he'd expected at the palace, but at least he had
somewhere to go now. Something to do.

It was time to get some answers
from Ilseth Tenvar.

Asha walked through the silent
city streets as dawn broke, a smile plastered across her face despite the task
that lay before her.

Davian was alive. She'd known it,
but it still hadn't truly felt real until she'd seen him, felt his arms around
her. It had been hard to leave him again so soon, but she knew she couldn't
afford to delay in trying to contact the Shadraehin. The Blind were on the
march, and could be at the city within a couple of days - maybe earlier. There
would be time for a proper reunion once all of this was over.

Her smile faded. There would be
time,
if
they survived.

The empty streets and hurriedly
boarded-up stores around her were a stark reminder of what was coming. Last
night's news had travelled fast; nearly everything was closed, silent, and the
few civilians walking the streets looked nervous and spoke to each other only
in hushed tones. Even to Asha, who had only been out in the city a few times,
the scene was surreal. There was a heaviness, a deep sense of impending doom
hanging over everything like a thundercloud.

She headed towards the Silver
Talon, one of the smaller taverns in the Middle District, and the only name she
remembered from the note she'd burned a month or so ago. It was hardly a
foolproof plan, but she didn't know her way to the Sanctuary. This was the only
place she could think of to contact the Shadraehin.

She soon arrived outside the
tavern, a two-story brick building that, like everything else in the street,
was closed and empty. After a minute of peering vainly through windows into the
murky interior, Asha gave up and settled down on the doorstep.

It was a half-hour later when
crunching footsteps indicated someone's approach.

She looked up to see a thin,
distinguished-looking man striding towards her, the black lines on his face
stark against his pale skin.

"Ashalia Chaedris?"

She nodded.

"Come with me."

Asha scrambled to her feet,
giving a silent sigh of relief. She followed the man through a series of
desolate back streets, the echo of their footsteps often the only sound. Her
guide ignored her for the most part, swivelling his head occasionally to make
sure she was keeping up, but otherwise keeping his eyes fixed on the way ahead.

They made their way into the
residential section of the Middle District, and before long the Shadow came to
a halt outside one of the smaller houses. He opened the door, gesturing for
Asha to enter.

Inside was dim, the curtains
drawn, but Asha could see Scyner reclining in a chair near the window. He was
flanked by two huge Shadows, who both gave her suspicious stares. Scyner
gestured cheerfully for her to sit.

"Ashalia!" he
exclaimed. "Very clever, asking half the Shadows in the palace directions
to the Silver Talon. I had three separate reports saying you were on your way
there."

"I assumed you probably had someone
following me anyway, but I wanted to be sure," said Asha, trying to keep
the bitterness from her tone.

"Indeed," said Scyner.
He leaned forward. "I want to begin by saying that I had no knowledge of
Teran's and Pyl's actions until after the event. It was... unfortunate."

"I think they would
agree," said Asha quietly, forcing down the twist of fear in her stomach.

Scyner stared at her for a
moment, then chuckled. "I suppose they would." He straightened.
"So. It seems like an odd time to be delivering information, but I take it
you have news?"

"No. Not about the
Northwarden, anyway."

Scyner watched her for a few
seconds, silent. "Teran insisted that you never meant to tell us
anything," he said eventually. "He was telling the truth, wasn't
he."

"Yes," said Asha.
"Once I found out the truth about you."

Scyner's eyebrows raised a
fraction. "Honesty. Surprising, but I can respect that." He scratched
his head. "However it leaves me in something of a quandary. We made a
deal, Ashalia. You have broken it, and you know what happens to those who break
deals with me. Why not just lie?"

"Because I don't have time
for lies," said Asha grimly. "And I have something you're going to
want more."

Scyner sighed, shaking his head.
"Maybe so, but I think I'd prefer to keep you restrained for now. At least
until I hear what it is you have to say." He nodded to the two men
standing either side of him, who started forward.

Asha stretched out her hand.

There was the briefest moment of
Scyner staring at her in puzzlement. Then his two bodyguards, already halfway
across the room, flew backwards and slammed into the wall, one shattering the
window as his flailing arm hit it.

Both men collapsed to the floor,
unconscious, as Scyner scrambled up from where his chair had been overturned by
the powerful gust, his eyes wide.

"Now," said Asha,
trying to keep her voice from shaking, " I would like to talk to the real
Shadraehin, please. There's something I need to discuss with her."

***

Only a few minutes had passed
when the door opened again.

The woman who entered was a
Shadow, and yet somehow she was also startlingly beautiful, even the black
lines on her face seeming to accentuate rather than mar her soft features. She
was young - older than Asha, but only by a few years. Even so, she moved with
confidence and grace as she swept inside, taking in the crumpled forms of
Scyner's bodyguards with an amused glance before turning to face Asha.

"Ashalia Chaedris," she
said, a slight, lilting accent evident even in Asha's name. "It seems you are
full of surprises today."

Asha stared at her. "You're
the Shadraehin?"

"I am. Do not bother asking
for proof. You will not get it."

Asha inclined her head; though
the woman was certainly young, something about her bearing had convinced Asha
the moment she had entered the room. She took a deep breath. "I've come to
ask the Shadows to join the fight against the Blind."

The Shadraehin raised an eyebrow
in amusement. "It would be safer by far to flee," she observed, her
odd inflection making the cadence of the words sound almost musical. Whatever
the accent was, Asha didn't recognise it. "I take it from what Scyner just
told me, you do not wish for us to simply take up swords?" Her eyes
flicked to the ring on Asha's finger, then back again.

Asha bit her lip. "Shadows
can use Vessels," she explained, feeling a sense of dread as she said the
words. It was out, now, and no turning back. "I have access to
Administration's stockpile. For each Shadow you can gather, I can have a
powerful weapon in their hands by nightfall."

The Shadraehin studied her for a
long moment, and Asha flushed under her cool gaze.

"I am interested," said
the other woman eventually. "Once you give us these weapons, though, what
is to keep us from simply leaving?"

"Nothing, I suppose,"
said Asha. "Except that the Sanctuary is here, and as little as you may
like the way things are run above ground, this is your home." She took a
deep breath. "And you don't strike me as the type to run. Or to break
deals, for that matter."

The Shadraehin gave a slow nod.
"True enough." She tapped at her teeth, looking thoughtful. "And
after the battle is over? Assuming we hold the city?"

Asha grimaced. "To an
extent, that is going to be up to you. Administration are going to want you to
return the Vessels, of course. If you don't... I have no idea what their
reaction will be."

"But regardless, they are
going to see Shadows as a real danger - all Shadows, not just my people. And we
will be defenceless if we return the Vessels," noted the other woman.

Asha nodded. "I know,"
she said softly. "And I will not blame you if the Vessels are not
returned. I want your word on one thing, though. You'll only ever use the
Vessels for self-defence. No going after Administrators, no killing. There's no
point having you defend the city if you're just going to tear it apart
afterward."

The Shadraehin was silent for a
long moment. "You would take my word?"

"Do I have reason not
to?"

The other woman gave her the
slightest of smiles. "No. And you have it. I cannot make promises for every
Shadow who has a Vessel, of course, but for my part, I will insist that their
use is for self-defence only." She touched two fingers to her heart, then
the same two fingers to Asha's forehead. "Let it be so known. We have a
covenant," she said formally.

Asha inclined her head, letting
out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. She wasn't sure how far the
Shadraehin's word could really be trusted, but it was the best she could have
hoped for.

"Where should I deliver the
Vessels?" she asked.

"I'll have people gather at
the Silver Talon at dusk. From what I've been hearing, there will be no
Administrators left in this part of the city to notice. Or anyone else, for
that matter," said the Shadraehin.

Asha nodded. "How
many?" There were hundreds of catalogued weapons in the storeroom, so she
wasn't worried about there not being enough.

"A hundred should
suffice."

Asha's eyes narrowed. "I'll
provide one Vessel per Shadow you can get to that inn. No more."

The Shadraehin nodded. "And
I expect there to be about a hundred present."

Asha frowned, taken aback. It was
good news of course; the more Shadows there were, the better defended the city
would be. But she'd expected twenty, maybe thirty at best. People had been
abandoning the city even prior to last night's news, and the Shadows - even the
Shadraehin's people - hadn't had any good reason to stay. In fact, they'd had
less reason to remain than most.

Unless the Shadraehin had asked
them to stay, of course.

Asha was silent for several
seconds as she studied the other woman.

"You knew," she said.

The Shadraehin kept her face
smooth, but Asha saw the tiniest flicker of surprise in her eyes. "What do
you mean?"

"You knew Shadows could use
Vessels. You knew I'd bring you this deal." Asha thought back to what
Teran had said, about his having to spy on her even if the Blind were at the
gates. His instructions not to touch her, even if she didn't deliver on her
agreement. She looked the Shadraehin in the eye. "It doesn't change
anything, you have my word - but tell me the truth. Did you know this would
happen when you sent the Northwarden to me?"

The Shadraehin just stared at her
for a few moments. Then she gave a small laugh.

"Too many," she sighed,
shaking her head. "I did not think you would notice."

"Then you
did
know?"

"Not as such. I knew we
would be fighting the Blind with Vessels, and I knew that Administration were
the only ones with a significant number of them. Putting you close to the
Northwarden was one of several ways I thought it might happen."

Asha paused. It galled her to
think that the Shadraehin had planned to get hold of the Vessels, but
ultimately it mattered little. "So are you...."

"An Augur? No." The
Shadraehin sounded amused. "I'll tell you how I knew, if you're willing to
tell me how you knew Scyner was not in charge. Or how you found out that I am a
woman."

"I'm afraid I can't do
that."

"I suspected as much."
The Shadraehin gave a regretful sigh. "A mystery for another time,
then." She stood, indicating the meeting was over. "Oh, and Ashalia.
Neither Scyner nor myself will be at the Silver Talon, so I will be letting my
people know that they are to follow your lead. They will do whatever you need
them to, and go wherever you ask."

Asha felt her eyebrows raise, but
she quickly nodded. It was a lot of responsibility, but it still made her feel
more comfortable than if the Shadraehin had been giving the orders.

"One last thing," said
Asha as she stood too. "I have a message for you, though I don't really
understand it. A gift from someone called Davian."

The Shadraehin smiled. "A
gift from someone I do not know?"

Asha ignored the other woman's
amusement. "The message is that Tal'kamar is going to take Licanius to the
Wells."

The Shadraehin froze. For a
fraction of a second she looked both excited and terrified, though the
expression was quickly smoothed over, replaced by one of intense curiosity. She
stared into Asha's eyes for a long moment, eyes focused.

"You are certain that was
the message?"

Asha nodded, shivering a little
under her gaze.

"And that was all?"

"Yes."

The Shadraehin didn't move for a
few seconds, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together absently.
"Davian," she murmured. "Excellent. Please tell him that I am in
his debt." She gave Asha a considering look, then the slightest nod of
respect. "Now, however, you and I are both needed elsewhere, so you will
need to see yourself out. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ashalia. I feel
certain our paths will cross again."