Bound by Blood and Sand (15 page)

She found Elan, too, though it took her some time to realize what she was watching. Elan spent the morning with Shirrad and Desinn, lost in a conversation Jae couldn't hear and didn't care about. After that, he spoke with the other Avowed at Aredann—and formed them into another work crew, one that he joined. She watched in amazement as they began work on another section of the estate, cleaning and clearing.

Tal brought Jae lunch and a handful of dates to share, which she doubted had originally been intended for the two of them. But she didn't ask, and it wasn't likely that anyone would notice they'd gone missing during the chaos of cleaning up the estate.

He sat to eat with her, his knees knocking against hers, leaning in close so they could talk. “You should have seen it,” he said, and laughed, mouth full. “Of course, no one had a choice. When Lord Elan gave the order, they all
had
to do it. None of them were too happy about that—especially not since they're leaving Aredann soon. But then he said he'd be working, too. He stripped off his robe and started hauling bricks—and, Jae, I thought Lady Shirrad was going to swoon at the sight.”

“She doesn't care for him,” Jae said.

“No, but I think she took it as a sign. There are rumors that the quake was magic, and some people think…some people are starting to say, if there's magic, the Highest won't abandon Aredann,” Tal said. “Lady Shirrad believes them. And she believes Lord Elan will make that case to his father. Even
you
might appreciate that.”

“I'd rather he just left, and took the others with him,” Jae said.

“Me too—but if he wants to repair the house before he goes, I suppose I don't mind,” Tal said, smiling a little.

Jae rolled her eyes, but smiled back. It was nice to sit with Tal and let him tease her. It was
safe,
as if nothing had ever changed at all. Not that she wanted to step back in time to before Elan had arrived and upended her world. She'd never go back to being powerless. But back then, she'd always known what to expect, and now she had no idea what was going to happen next. When she sat with Tal, things still felt easy and normal.

Unfortunately, meals were the only times when the work crews could spare Tal. Spending the rest of her time alone left Jae itchy with a need to use magic. All evening, she let herself drift into her other-vision, watching the estate and the people in it.

After dinner, Elan broke away from the workers to sit with Shirrad and Desinn again, while Tal and Gali finally crossed paths for the first time since dawn. Jae shifted her vision elsewhere when they kissed, but it was only moments later that they were both off again, working on different areas of the grounds.

Jae frowned when Elan's meeting ended and he and Shirrad started walking together, inspecting all the work that had been done—and sweeping closer to Tal with every step. She couldn't hear them, but sure enough, when they stepped into the room where Tal was cleaning out the last of the debris, Lady Shirrad drifted toward him, put a hand on his side.

A fierce drumbeat of magic thrummed in Jae's veins. Tal smiled, but Jae felt the dread underneath it. If Shirrad wrapped an arm around him, if she ordered Tal to her room, Jae would—

Elan stepped between them, his expression just as smiling and placid as Tal's. He patted Tal's shoulder as he spoke, and Tal nodded and headed out of the room, his careful walk speeding up as he left them farther behind. In the study, Elan smiled at Shirrad and offered his arm. They resumed their inspection—and they walked away from wherever Tal had been sent.

Jae released her breath, and some of the bright glow of magic around her dimmed. Tal was still busy, but whatever order he'd been given, it had saved him from Shirrad for the night. It should have been a relief, but it wasn't really.

The next morning, Jae made up her mind. When Tal brought her breakfast, she asked him to stay and sit with her as she paced across the room. “I want to try to free you.”

“And you really think you can,” he said, fingers splaying open against the floor.

“I think so,” Jae said. With as much power as she could sense now, it would be easier than when she'd freed herself. She'd attack it the same way, plucking Tal away from the Curse, pulling until he was free from the binding of the Wellspring Bloodlines.

“Then…all right,” he agreed. He tapped his fingers against the floor. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

“Just sit,” she said. She pulled a cushion around to face him, sat down, and reached for his hand. When she looked at them in other-vision, she couldn't see where his glow ended and hers began. Taking a deep breath, she searched for the visions she'd had the night she'd killed Rannith, the way she'd seen the Closest all bound together. Once she found that braided rope of energies, it was easy to see the Curse, inside and around the Bloodlines, staining their every breath.

She reached into the rope of energies with her mind, sifting through the feeling of familiarity until she found several that felt more like her than all the others, and realized they were the Closest of Aredann. It made sense: Closest were tied to the estates where they were born, so the same groups had been intermarrying for generations. Each individual was related to some of the others
somewhere
back in their history. The Closest were all bound together as the Bloodlines, but the ones at Aredann shared more of her blood than the Closest anywhere else did.

Even at Aredann, there were dozens of people she didn't know, though one felt so much like her that she thought it was Tal for a moment. But no, because she found Tal, too, at last. Which meant the other person had to be related closely to them—their father. Jae had never met him, since he hadn't been brought into the household when her mother had, but it made sense that he was out there somewhere, too.

Her mother had never talked about him. Jae didn't know if they'd chosen each other or been chosen
for
each other, told to produce a child. Someday, once Aredann was safe, she'd find him. For now, all she really cared about was Tal. Tal, whose blood and energy were all but identical to hers, easy to focus on once she found them.

She plucked at the thread that represented him, and he gasped.

“It's the magic,” she explained, trying not to lose her focus on what she'd found. “Brace yourself.”

“Sure,” he agreed, and she dug back into other-vision and began to work.

The Curse pulsated around his thread, wrapping around and strangling it as she tried to pry him free. Something peculiar seemed to wrap around her throat while she worked—then she felt it, like a light touch against her skull. The pounding of the Curse, but miles away. Reaching for her, but not able to hurt her.

She braced herself, just like she'd told Tal to do. She plucked at Tal's thread again, pulling it closer to herself—pulling herself closer to the Bloodlines, closer to the Curse.

She jerked out of other-vision, her hands pulling free from Tal's, the room rushing back around her. Tal stared, wide-eyed. “That wasn't…,” he said, not quite a question.

She shook her head. “Not yet. It was…the Curse….”

“If you can't, Jae, it's…I'll be fine,” he said, and she didn't miss how he hesitated as he groped for a truth to placate her. “I'll be all right for now.”

“No,” she said, and took a breath. The Curse was gone from her body, there was no pain in her head, but she could swear she could still sense an echo of it. “I can do this, I'm sure. The Curse just…wanted me back.”

“Then don't be stupid,” he said. “If you can't free me without cursing yourself—”

“I
can,
” she said. “I just need to be careful.”

He didn't look thrilled at the idea, but nodded. She took his hand again, braced herself, and fell back into other-vision. It was much easier to find him this time, but the Curse was still waiting.

Gritting her teeth, she reached for Tal's thread and
yanked
. Tal screamed, jerking away from her and falling off his cushion. His thread almost got away from her, too, and as she fumbled for it, the Curse rushed in on her. Pain pulsed in her skull, and Tal was still screaming. Guilt twisted up inside her as she ignored that, pulling and pulling while she pushed back against the Curse, trying to keep it away from her. The pain in her head receded a little, but Tal was still writhing on the floor.

She pulled again—almost there—

“Jae!”
He yanked her arm, and she saw him in real vision, eyes blown wide and glassy with tears. “Stop, please, please,
stop
!”

She stopped.

The power flowed away from her, and Tal climbed back onto the cushion, trembling, and wiped at his eyes.

“I'm sorry,” she mumbled, sagging. “I was so close. I was so
sure.
”

“It's…” Tal broke off. He couldn't say it was fine when it wasn't. She knew how hard the Curse must have hit him, and even if it hadn't, to be so close to freedom and lose it…That wasn't fine.

“I'll find another way,” she murmured, but she didn't know how. She could see so much energy, feel so much power, but she barely knew how to use it. And if she couldn't even save Tal, there was no way she could save all of Aredann.

“I know you will,” Tal said. Then, as if he'd read her mind, he continued, “I'll help. And if you can free me, then you can free Gali and the others, too, and bring water back to Aredann. We'll find a way.”

He smiled at her, and she nodded, letting some of his confidence seep under her skin. They
would
find a way. As long as he was there to help her, she could do anything.

Three days later, an advance messenger arrived just past dawn to warn them: Highest Lord Elthis was on his way and would arrive after lunch. Elan thanked the messenger and exchanged anxious looks with Shirrad.

Aredann was still in a sorry state. Though teams of Closest and others had been working almost nonstop to clean and repair the damage, there was only so much they could do. The kitchen had been the first area cleaned, and the teams had fanned out from there. Now the dining hall and the study were somewhat repaired, too. They'd been emptied of all debris, with furniture pulled back into place, all cushions and mats cleaned, but the rooms still had missing tiles and cracks across the ceilings and walls. The corridors were the same. The estate house had been built by a mage, and while work crews could replace tiles, the beautiful, intricate patterns would never look as smooth and well crafted again. Not unless a mage did the repairs, and Jae didn't seem all that inclined to help.

It was just as well she didn't. Elan didn't want her wandering around, terrifying everyone—or worse, losing her temper and lashing out with magic. He couldn't hide what had happened, and there were dozens of rumors about the quake's cause, but he didn't want anyone to know too much about the truth. So, once they knew for sure Elthis would be there within a few hours, Elan asked Jae to stay out of sight as much as possible. His father would doubtlessly want to see Jae eventually, but Elan wanted to put off that clash as long as he could. He first needed to make sure his father understood what Jae was capable of and how careful they had to be.

Sure enough, within an hour after they'd finished lunch, word came in from the yard that a group had been spotted in the distance, drawing closer. Lady Shirrad sent word around the house—the cleanup crews were to get out of sight, though they should keep working anywhere they could, and the Avowed got ready to gather.

Lady Shirrad met Elan at the front gate a few minutes later. She'd changed from a shapeless, stained shift into the same deep red dress she'd had on to meet Elan originally. It was a little shabby, but not tattered, and the gold belt and embroidery were a nice reminder that whatever state Aredann was in now, there had been a time when Shirrad's family had been wealthy and prosperous.

Lord Elthis's travel party approached the gate. There were at least a dozen of them, led by Elthis himself, clad in pale tan travel robes over green garments. His features were obscured behind the mesh that protected his face from the sun, but he was tall and broad-shouldered, a large man with an even larger presence. Two Avowed rode behind him, followed by servants who led camels laden with jugs.

“Water,”
one of the Avowed murmured behind Elan.

“They have plenty in the central cities,” another said. “They can spare some for us.”

Elan shook his head a little but didn't bother to say anything. The water wasn't for anyone at Aredann—it would only ensure that his father's visit would be comfortable.

Elthis dismounted, and one of his servants trotted over to take his horse's reins. The Lord faced the gathered crowd expectantly, and Lady Shirrad stepped forward with the same elegant water cup she'd used to greet Elan. She looked away as she handed it to him, and Elan saw a faint tremble in her arm, but Elthis just drank and nodded in satisfaction.

“Thank you, Lady Shirrad.”

“Of course, Highest,” she said, her voice almost as quiet as a Closest's. “Please, come in and be welcome.”

Elthis didn't move to enter the house. Instead his gaze caught on Elan, who stepped forward and bowed his head, saying, “Welcome, Father.”

His father nodded a little, but instead of answering him said, “Desinn?”

Desinn joined them, nodding back.

“Lord Elthis, would you care to come inside?” Shirrad asked again.

“No.” Elthis brushed his hands together, wiping off sand and dust. “Don't think me too impolite, Lady, but the letters I've received have spoken of a crisis—and I can certainly see it around me. Before I take off my riding gear, I'd like to visit your reservoir.”

“Oh,” Lady Shirrad said. “I— Of course, Highest.”

Elan helped Shirrad mount, and Elthis dismissed the rest of the travel party. Shirrad rode out to take the lead, since it was her reservoir. She set a slow pace. Even so, it didn't take them long to get there. The riding trail itself was next to a dry streambed that had once served the estate house, as well as irrigating the fields and orchard. Now it was riddled with debris, stones, and cracks from the quake.

The reservoir still seemed tiny to Elan—at least a dozen of them would have fit into the Danardae reservoir. But despite its size, it was still an eye-grabbing, glittering oasis; a beautiful lake in the midst of the drought-ridden fields and endless, endless sand. Just looking at it helped Elan recover some fortitude. Shirrad, too, squared her shoulders as they all dismounted.

“This is it?” Elthis asked.

“Yes, Highest,” Shirrad answered. “I know it doesn't look like much, but it has served Aredann very well, even through this drought.”

“Not well enough, I gather,” Elthis said.

Shirrad pressed her lips together in a forced smile.

“Elan, Desinn,” Elthis said, and Elan obediently made his way to his father's side. The four of them began to walk around the reservoir's perimeter, far enough out that the mud was dried and cracked, not wet. His father's riding boots would be dirty but not damp. “What happened to this place?”

“An earthquake,” Elan said.

“Yes, I know
that.
” His father pointedly looked over at Shirrad. “Has anything like that ever happened before, Lady?”

“No, Highest,” she said. “Not that I can recall.”

“Then why now?” Elthis asked. “Desinn, you made it sound as if it were magic.”

“It was, Highest,” Desinn said. “I assure you of that.”

“Magic,” Elthis repeated.

“Yes, Highest,” Desinn said. “Lord Elan…discovered it.”

When Elthis glanced at him, Elan nodded. “Yes, Father.”

This was the true reason they were here at the reservoir, Elan realized. To talk about it without being overheard.

“Tell me everything,” Elthis demanded.

Elan explained as they slowly circled the reservoir. The fields were on the far side. When he looked for them, he could see Closest moving around them, still working despite everything, as if nothing had changed. But then, nothing
had
changed for them. No one had given them any new orders. He wondered if they even knew about their impending abandonment.

Elan willed his voice not to falter when he described everything that had happened with Jae. He hated having to bring her up at all, knowing his father would see her as a threat, but he had no choice except to describe how she'd unlocked magic, and everything that had happened afterward.

His father listened attentively, which was enough to make Elan uncomfortable in and of itself. Elthis had only ever given him so much attention when he was in trouble—like the last time they'd seen each other, when Elan had been banished to Aredann. His father rarely forgave and never forgot anything, which meant that now he was gathering ideas, weighing them. Deciding if Elan had handled things well enough to make up for his mistake weeks ago, or if this was another in a series of disasters that were his fault.

He knew which his father was thinking when he said, “You should have sent me word immediately.”

“I…Yes,” Elan agreed. He opened his mouth to explain why he hadn't, then thought better of it. His father wouldn't want to hear any kind of excuses.

“At the very least, you should have alerted Desinn,” Elthis said, and Desinn practically preened.

“I
was
telling Desinn when the earthquake happened,” Elan said quickly. “And would have sent word when I finished explaining it to him.”

“But you could have told me a day sooner,” Desinn said, “and the quake would never have happened.”

“I was only waiting until I understood Jae's powers!” Elan snapped. Then, recovering himself, he said, “I didn't want to waste your time with a fool's errand, Father. I wanted to be sure she'd be useful before I sent for you.”

“So instead of alerting me, you bided your time and cost us control of her entirely,” his father answered, voice cold.

Elan had no response to that at all, which was just as well. His father had made up his mind that Elan had been in the wrong, and nothing would change it.

Finally his father said, “I'm here now. Shirrad, tell me everything you know about this Closest girl.”

Shirrad spoke up: “I know this will sound odd to you, Highest, but we…well, things have been difficult at Aredann for many years, and we've had a hard time enticing Twill to stay out here. So when my mother died, and there were no Avowed women ready to be my nurse, my father selected one of the Closest to do it. Jae's mother—Jae and her brother had just been born. They're Closest, but they're not…they grew up in the house; they're almost like servants, really.”

“She has a brother?” Elthis asked.

“Yes, Highest,” Shirrad said. “A twin, Tal.”

Elan frowned, and Elthis continued, “The brother, is he still cursed, or has she freed him as well?”

“Still cursed,” Shirrad said.

They had almost made their way back around to where they'd tied the horses. Elthis nodded. “Very well, then. We'll head back to the house now, and I will handle this. I will count on you—all
three
of you—to help me keep order. Things here are too dangerous. Another quake could destroy Aredann entirely, kill all of us and everyone else. And a Closest with magic…

“Listen to me very carefully. My duty is to protect everyone. To protect our society,” Elthis said. His shoulders were stiff and his voice was deep, commanding. “I am not worried about this Closest's magic. I know how to control her, and she will be an asset if we handle this well. But if anything else goes wrong, the danger isn't from her magic. It's from what will happen when word of it spreads. If people believe there's a Closest capable of rebelling, there will be panic.
That
is what causes riots—and war. I will not allow that. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Highest,” Desinn and Shirrad said in unison.

He gave Elan a sharp look.

“Yes, Father,” Elan said, ducking his head. Because he knew his father was right—that was why his father had all but disavowed him. Elan had questioned him, and it could have led to confusion and chaos. The Highest would do anything to prevent that. Threats to the social order were the only reason Highest ever disavowed their followers.

Elan had come perilously close once already. His father wouldn't let it happen again. It didn't matter that Elan was his son. If Elan forced Elthis to choose between family and order, his father would choose order, every time, especially with the ongoing drought scaring all of the Avowed. Which meant that no matter what his father decided to do with Jae, Elan was going to have to be careful. Careful to keep Jae calm, so she didn't use magic against them, and careful to obey his father and keep the world as a whole calm. If Elan couldn't manage that, then whether or not Jae could end the drought wouldn't matter. People doubting the Highest's control would tear the world apart.