Bones of the Empire (81 page)

“He will survive and not be taken, so long as I keep my grip on him. Kill me and he falls. Refuse to negotiate and he falls. Every second you waste, the mists will continue to tear at his life, draining his magic and aging him. He has maybe a minute before his entire life is torn from him, a year at a time. How much will you sacrifice, vixen?”

Feanne motioned at Yoska and he backed away. “What else can I do? Pull him out and discuss this. Dorralt, name your terms.”

As Raeln watched, Estin’s black muzzle began to grey, starting along his chin and then near his whiskers. A minute might be far longer than he had to live. Slowly, Dorralt pulled him out of the mist, and Estin went nearly limp. His eyes barely open as he trembled, his tail hanging on the floor, even as his paws failed to reach the stone tiles.

“I had a rather nice plan going,” Dorralt announced, his eyeless sockets studying Estin before sweeping over Yoska, the coughing, wounded dwarf, then back to Feanne. “Two thousand years of planning, and now you have me trapped here. You realize this whole world is going to descend further into barbarism each generation that our people do not work to unify them? Look at the world you have seen and tell me that it is not in chaos.”

“Chaos you caused,” Feanne snapped, taking a delicate step forward, keeping her hands out to her sides so they were visible. “Why are we even having this conversation? Surely you realize that the people behind me will not betray Raeln or I. I would have thought by now you would have run, or is this room more important than your own survival?”

Raeln shifted a little away from Feanne, advancing as slowly as she did. Another few steps and he might be able to lunge for the arm that held Estin. He only needed to knock Dorralt away from the mists, and Feanne could pull Estin to safety. In a pinch, he would try to throw himself between Estin and the mists. It might buy them precious seconds.

Dorralt chuckled and shrugged. “The room can be remade. What I cannot do is shift my consciousness to another body. Even the puppets I brought to the temple are too far for me to reach with the mists so close. Mairlee and the fae have trapped me, just as they have trapped you. You did notice how the dragons fled the moment the mists closed in? They know this is beyond saving. If we can come to an agreement, perhaps we will weather this storm together…”

Feanne took another step, and Dorralt plunged Estin into the mists with a shriek that made Raeln’s ear ache. She froze, and Dorralt removed Estin from the glowing cloud again. With all attention on Feanne, Raeln moved past the dwarf and positioned himself to lunge for Estin. Another few seconds and he could be close enough to tackle Dorralt.

“Stop trying to be the hero, beast,” Dorralt warned. His head swiveled slightly to gaze at Raeln, silently including him in the warning. “Find my brother. He will understand why this had to be done. Him I can negotiate with. The two of you are far too ignorant for me to reason with.”

A soft clearing of a throat behind Raeln made him look back. Turess stood at the foot of the steps, with Asha and Greth right behind him.  

Turess walked forward until he was beside Feanne. He hesitated there, raising his hands in surrender. Then, more slowly, he came over near Raeln. “He will let me get close,” he whispered as he moved to pass Raeln. “Miharon gave me small bit of magic. I will attempt to shield Estin from the mists. Kill my brother the moment you have a clear swing.”

Raeln moved aside to let Turess past. He tried to advance with Turess and saw Feanne doing the same. But Dorralt immediately raised Estin again toward the mist and they were forced to stop.

Turess walked to the center of the room, only a few feet from Dorralt.

“Close enough,” Dorralt said, and Turess came to a stop. “I don’t believe we’ve had enough time to catch up, Turess. It has been too long.”

Frowning and looking at Estin, Turess replied, “Not long enough, if this is how you treat those you are stronger than. This was not our way. Put Estin down so we can talk.”

“Might I remind you that they attacked me, brother?”

“I do remember. My memory is not so bad, and was only a few minutes ago that we began this battle. Put down my friend, and we will talk about anything you wish. I would not see any more death today.”

Dorralt sighed, which sounded like a hollow breeze. “I am not a fool, Turess. Estin is my only remaining leverage. I am doing what I must for the survival of the empire. I cannot release him. Your made me swear to be the shield of the empire, and that means protecting it no matter who the threat might be.”

“The empire fell two thousand years ago, Dorralt. Kharali’s absence ensured that. Given your hand in her disappearance, you may blame yourself. She was the sword of the empire, meant to attack those who threatened it. Was never your duty.”

Gesturing toward the rotted old wooden throne, Dorralt replied, “Take the throne back. This empire is yours, brother. I did all that I have to preserve what you created. I will kneel to you gladly. We can reclaim the world we built together.”

“Death was always meant to be an ending for us,” Turess replied, taking another step forward. Raeln used that movement to hide his own step off to the side, nearing the mists. “We built something for those who came after us. We were not meant to rule it forever.”

Nodding and then hanging his head, Dorralt groaned faintly. “I know, Turess. I could not let go. We worked so hard for it all to collapse because you had no heir. I had to try. I had to do something. I had to stop the wildlings before they fulfilled a prophecy they couldn’t even understand. They are animals trying to pretend to greatness.”

“You had to try by killing the person I chose to lead our nation?”

“Always ignorant of the details,” Dorralt muttered. He lifted his free hand carefully—clearly trying to make sure it was not perceived as an attempt to attack—and motioned toward the mists. Immediately, the cloud parted, and Raeln could see a white-and-black furred wildling woman, shaking violently as the mists tried to tear her apart. “I can remove her from the mist, Turess. She was trapped during…an experiment. I could not free her to come save you, or we would have all been destroyed. She is the capstone in keeping the mists in check. You must believe I tried to free her once I realized you would die without her. By then it was too late. I could not remove her without another.

“All I need is someone to take her place. Give me Estin and you can have Kharali. Walk away with your armies and take your empire back, with your wife at your side. I will serve you without question, my brother. I attempted to raise the empire in your absence, but I will bend my knee to you. Say the word and your wife walks free. The only loss is Estin. One man for the sake of the empire.”

Raeln looked to Feanne, but she was not paying attention to anything but Dorralt. Her fingers twitched as she fought the urge to attack, though without anger in her eyes, but horror. She thought Turess would accept the deal. On that expression’s merit, Raeln shifted his footing, ready to go for Turess the moment he betrayed them. He might not be able to save Estin, but he could certainly break Turess’s neck.

“A fair trade,” Turess noted, clasping his hands behind his back. As he did, Raeln realized he was motioning for them to stop. It did little to ease his tension, but Raeln wondered what he was up to. “When I was brought back, I would have accepted. Was actually my original plan to sacrifice Raeln, Feanne, and Estin if needed to stand where I am today.”

“Then we have a deal?” Dorralt asked, lifting Estin a little higher as though to remind Turess that he was there.

“How can I trade the life of one I respect for one I love?” Turess countered. “You ask me to betray all of the good will I have attempted to create in this world so that I can be happy. I cannot in good conscience accept. Is tempting, but not something I can agree to. Offer me something else. Find another way, brother. You were always wiser than I. Reason this out.”

Dorralt’s skeletal shoulders dipped slightly in obvious disappointment. “We are at a standstill. The mists will tear the temple down above us, and yet we will survive down here for quite some time. When the mists come for us, they will be pulled into the hole. How long are you willing to watch me hold this man by the neck and threaten to throw him into the mists? I will not relent, and I know you well enough to know you will not either.”

“How long are you willing to betray the trust I once put in you? Put Estin down. You were the shield of this empire, not its executioner. If the empire were to exist again, it is Raeln now marked as the sword. The position was never—and will never be—yours. I made that decision for a reason.”

Lowering Estin until his feet nearly touched the ground, Dorralt replied, “I cannot let him go, Turess. My children may survive this with or without me, but if I do not replace Kharali in the next few years, both she and I will die. Would you condemn your brother to save your wife? Would you be willing to give me another who can survive the mists for a time, if only to broker a deal? I need someone—a wildling, due to the way I built the magic—if I am going to relent. Give me something. We both know this rift in Eldvar must be capped.”

“That is not my decision to make,” Turess admitted, more openly motioning for Raeln to stand back. He then turned to Feanne. “It is your husband who will die for this. I put it in your hands, Feanne. Which life will we lose and which will we spare?”

Feanne studied Estin for a long time before she nodded grimly. Raeln recognized that look all too easily. She was willing to give herself to save Estin. Before Raeln could catch Turess’s attention, he returned to staring down his undead brother.

“Though I would never wish it on her, Feanne is willing to trade her life for Estin’s,” Turess said. “How do we proceed?”

Feanne raised her hands defensively, keeping her head low as she advanced to stand at Turess’s side. She stopped there, waiting and never raising her eyes to meet Estin’s.

Raeln’s anger flared out of control, and he found himself growling angrily. He started toward Feanne, ready to drag her out of the room if he had to. He could not stand by and watch her kill herself for the slim chance that Dorralt might spare Estin, which she had to know was unlikely.

He made it almost to Turess when Feanne snarled at him and gave him a look that demanded he back down. Reluctantly, he stopped and returned his attention to Dorralt and Estin. He had moved somewhat out of position, but he was certain if he had a moment’s warning, he could still get between Estin and the mists.

“How do I know you will spare him?” Feanne asked, her posture immediately returning to a far more submissive state. “I will trade myself for him, but only if I can be certain.”

Dorralt laughed and shook Estin violently. When he did, Raeln watched Estin’s muscles tense, ready to act. He was planning something. For a brief moment, Estin and Feanne’s eyes met before both returned to their acting.

“You have no assurances,” Dorralt spat. “I do promise not to kill him today, though I will not promise anything about the future. It all depends on how long you survive the mists.”

“Then I have no choice.” Feanne kept her hands raised and walked up to stand directly in front of Dorralt. “Release Estin and take me. I will kneel to you as my lord, if that is what this requires.”

“I will agree to this,” Dorralt said, after staring at Feanne a moment. He slowly put Estin down on his feet. “I swear by our parents’ blood, Turess. Her life for his and Kharali’s. She will likely survive the mists longer than Estin, anyway. The Miharon made her strong.”

Turess shook his head. “You are not bargaining with me anymore, brother. This is between you and Feanne. Bargain with her.”

Raeln tensed, ready to lunge at Feanne to stop her, but it was Estin who stopped him. Though barely able to stand, Estin made several furtive gestures, warning Raeln to stay back. Reluctantly, Raeln held his ground. It would take him two strides to reach Dorralt and Estin, placing him farther away than he would have liked, given the proximity of the mists. Despite Estin’s gesturing, Raeln slid his paws carefully forward to hide his movement.

“The prophecies my brother wrote on his deathbed,” Dorralt mused, cocking his head to study Feanne. “He said six would have a chance of saving the world. Yoska, Raeln, Estin, Turess, Dalania, and you are here. You have done all you could. There is no shame in sacrificing one for the sake of millions. Your death will bring about a new age for the world. While you suffer, we may be able to contain the mists and close the door between worlds—”