Demonkin (10 page)

Anylus grabbed Kara and dragged her back, and then Dynara did too. She could not fight both of them, but that did not mean she wouldn’t try. Kara pulled, fought, and looked between them. “Let me go!”

“We have struck a bargain!” Trell shouted for the benefit of the nearby soldiers. “We will leave in peace!”

Kara stopped struggling, eyes wet. They both knew what would happen if the demon remained here. Neither of them would risk the death of thousands to save one.

Abaddon's hand gripped Trell's shoulder. “It's time to go. Say your goodbyes.”

“I have.” Trell turned away from Kara, from everything. His life.

He followed Abaddon through the ruined portcullis. The white expanse of the Imperial Road stretched beyond Tarna's broken gates, bordered by immaculate grass. He followed Abaddon down that wide road.

“I'll save you!” Kara shouted after him. “I promise!”

No one attacked as Trell left the city behind. He put one foot in front of the other until the crying and shouting faded. All was silent but the wind.

He walked the cobblestone road with the demon general at his side. They were alone. He would always be alone.

Trell knew that was how he would die.

“HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, Leader of Nations and Champion of the Ranarok, King Haven Arterius!” Adept Anylus announced the king's arrival with a voice that echoed through the king's underground throne chamber. “Kneel!”

Kara knelt as a stone door at the back of the chamber rolled aside. King Haven marched out, a muscular figure in blue and white robes. Iron braziers at the edges of the room burned with fires that sent smoke up narrow chimneys in the ceiling. Smoke exited above the palace complex.

King Haven had a rough, tan face weathered by age and covered in a thick gray beard. His eyes were pale as the Ranarok's streams, inherited from his father. The king settled on his throne with Beren to his right and Anylus to his left. He gazed at ranks of anxious legionnaires, dozens of impatient nobles, and Kara. Now all alone.

Kara knelt in the center of the throne chamber on the supplicant's platform, raised stone bordered by strips of iron and gold. Her ancestors had carved ancient symbols into the stone, dating back thousands of years to people who spoke a different language.

The throne chamber remained cold and uninviting, a huge room of gray stone walls dug deep into the earth beneath the palace. It was a relic of ages past, built by a kingdom of hardy mountain people. The royal palace above was a facade, constructed for appearance over an underground fortress.

“I know you have questions.” Haven's level baritone filled the room. “What you must know is that the threat to our capital is ended. You are safe.”

Mynt's capital had not been attacked since the All Province war, and even then Tarna’s walls had never been breached. What had happened today was unprecedented, and unprecedented things terrified people.

King Haven looked to Prince Beren. “Leader of Armies. Report on the south gate.”

This was political theater, necessary to reassure the anxious nobles they would not die, and Kara hated it. It was necessary, but every moment she delayed here was another moment Trell walked further away from her.

“The south gate is sealed.” Beren straightened, now wearing his ceremonial golden armor. “I have carpenters, masons, and Earthers raising a wall of impenetrable stone. That will do until new, stronger gates arrive.”

Haven turned to Anylus. “Royal Adept Anylus, do any demons remain inside the city?”

“No,” Anylus said. “The demon came alone, and my hunters have confirmed it left the city.”

Haven turned to those gathered. “You have heard truth from my son, from the royal adept, and from myself. You need fear no more attacks.”

No one shifted and no one coughed. No one acknowledged Haven's promise or offered their own thoughts on the invasion. They were not satisfied, yet. They still needed someone to blame for this mess.

“Now,” Haven said, “we will discuss how this attack occurred.”

Anylus must have told King Haven some of what she had told him about Abaddon, and Beren must have told him more. It had been enough for Haven to invite her to this council session. This room now held the nobles, politicians, and clerks who made Tarna live and breathe.

Kara couldn't stop seeing Trell walking away. She longed to sprint after him, use air and earth and fire and anything else to tear Abaddon apart. Even before Trell's sickness made him weak, he could never have defeated Abaddon. Could anyone, save Life’s Champion?

“Royal apprentice?” Haven spoke so the whole chamber could hear, and Kara knew he expected her to do the same. “What happened today?” They both had parts to play.

Kara stood and glanced at those behind her, dozens of anxious, worried eyes. Trell was not dead yet. She just had to deal with this stupid mess first.

“As you know, we were attacked.” A dozen words flowed through her head and vanished like fish down a stream. “I ... a demon hit us. It led the army that burned Mynt and Tellvan villages on both sides of the border.”

“Why didn't you warn us?” a rat-faced noble shouted, a man she did not know. “How could you let this happen?”

Kara winced at the accusation in the man's tone. “We thought it was dead. When we encountered it near Highridge—”

“If you saw it before, you should have studied how to stop it!” the same man interrupted. “Don't you realize how vulnerable we are? What have you—”

“Enough!” King Haven shouted. “You will address your questions to me, Councilor Charrod, and you will do so after the royal apprentice has answered
my
questions.”

Kara appreciated his defense, but she knew nothing would satisfy these nobles. They all blamed her already, even knowing nothing about this attack. She turned back to King Haven.

“My king.” Kara considered her next words carefully. “A blood oath forbids me from answering these questions in anything but your royal confidence. May we speak privately?”

Murmuring rose among the crowd of nobles, but Kara did not look back at them. The only people she had to assuage were King Haven, Prince Beren, and Adept Anylus.

“What is this oath?” Haven asked.

“A sacred blood oath to Solyr.”

Haven raised a hand. “Clear the room.”

“You can't do that!” Charrod shouted. “We need answers!” A few more voices murmured asset, but no one spoke to join them. These people were seasoned politicians and most knew their place. Apparently, Councilman Charrod did not.

King Haven stood tall. “First Sword Keris.” He glanced at the tall brown-haired legionnaire standing beside him. “Have you given Councilman Charrod a tour of our dungeons recently?”

“I haven’t!” Dynara tossed Charrod a wicked grin. “Oh, you’ll love it, councilman. There's a wonderful selection of rocky cells down there, and you would sample fine courses of roach and rat. Shall we go now?”

Kara glanced behind her. The rest of the nobles had subtly backed away from Charrod. The rat-faced councilman now stood alone, brave or stupid. Likely stupid. How dare he challenge King Haven in open court?

“My apologies for my presumption.” Charrod bowed, rose, and turned his back to the king. “I must see to affairs of state.” He stormed from the room and others stepped from his way. Who
was
this arrogant man?

King Haven eyed the crowd. “Was I unclear?”

His legionnaires, men and women in glistening heavy armor, guided the cowed councilors and nobles from the room. The legionnaires were a mix of light and dark skin, male and female, tall or short. All were well-muscled, even the women. These mountains bred big women.

Some of those leaving cast glances back, but none dared challenge Haven. Kara prayed they wouldn't conspire behind his back. This now open war with Tellvan might turn even calm people desperate.

Finally the throne chamber was clear of all save the king, Anylus, and Prince Beren. Dynara saluted before she and another legionnaire cranked the stone door closed, a barrier as thick as a horse was long. Impregnable.

“Now, Kara.” Haven smiled at her, a genuine smile. “Share this secret that may only be delivered in the confidence of kings.”

The words tumbled out. Kara told Haven how she and everyone close to her almost died at Terras, but this time she included who her great-grandfather was and how the Five had lived inside them all. She dared not tell them of Sera's curse, but she told them everything else.

Kara expected questions, but Haven just watched her and Beren frowned. It was Anylus who spoke next.

“Kara, I know how one becomes a champion.”

“They die,” she agreed.

“No, the process is more complex. For one to become a champion of the Five that person must be immersed in their element. Trell drowned. Aryn burned. Byn bled his life into the earth and Jyllith dedicated herself to Aerial glyphs. That leaves one unexplained. Sera.”

Anylus knew. Of course he knew.

“Only a mage who scribed demon glyphs could be taken by Ruin upon her death,” Anylus said. “How long ago did Sera scribe those glyphs?” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you stole my magesand?”

Anylus had known about Kara's crime the whole time and said nothing. Everything was spiraling out of control, her life and her emotions. First Sera, then Trell. Who would she lose next?

“Sera scribed her first glyph almost three weeks ago,” Kara whispered, "to save us all.” She raised her voice before Anylus could question that. “She only scribed that glyph to stop a harvenger from killing hundreds, and we secured her with an execution glyph that will kill her before she turns. She's even now searching for a cure—”

“There is no cure,” Haven said.

“There is!” Kara shouted, and then flinched. One did not shout at a king. “Melyssa said one might exist. We have to look.”

“Melyssa Honuron.” Haven sat back on his throne. “Kara Honuron, and Torn. The legends of my father's time again walk our world.”

Haven's father, King Arden Arterius, was one of the greatest leaders in Mynt's long history. Arden's strategies halted the Metla Tassaun advance at the original Highridge Fortress. His leadership kept the Tassauns out of the Martial Steppes until Torn and the Champions of the Five ended the All Province War.

King Arden did not die on the battlefield. He died in his bedchamber, murdered by a Metla Tassaun assassin in front of his ten-year-old son. That assassin would have killed young Haven as well if Lared Pavel, a Solyr-trained Glyphbinder, had not intervened.

“I'm sorry I hid this from you,” Kara said, “but I truly thought it was done, and both Torn and Melyssa agreed with me.” She focused on Trell. “I don't know how many other Mavoureen are here, but where there's one....”

“The Mavoureen walk our world with the Tellvan at our throats.” Haven glanced at his son. “Our options?”

“Close the passes,” Beren said. “No one comes through, ours or theirs.” He looked away, perhaps seeing a map of the province in his head. “Send riders to every city and town and warn them to raise their defenses.”

“Full evacuation?”

“Impossible. We should only evacuate the Martial Steppes, and only once the Mavoureen commit themselves to an attack. Until we know how they plan to attack us and from where, evacuation would simply endanger everyone.”

“And the rest?” Haven asked. Even though he likely knew the answer.

“Everyone beyond the Ranarok is on their own,” Beren said, giving Kara an apologetic nod. “A mass exodus to the old burrows would take months and we couldn't protect everyone, let alone feed them.”

Kara looked between them. “Can’t we do anything?” She knew Byn’s father well, his whole family, and while her mother was safe in Tarna, Byn’s family most certainly was not. What about Sera’s father?

“They would be cattle to the slaughter on the roads,” Beren said, “victimized by looters, bandits, even Tellvan, despite their Cairn Teyn.” That was the oath that forbid Tellvan soldiers from killing civilians.

Kara hated understanding. Should a Mavoureen army emerge, towns like Boon and Hyle — towns she knew — would be bare in the path of the storm. Mynt was simply too large to rely on the mountain passes and ancient burrows for protection, as it had centuries ago.

She had to take this fight to the Mavoureen once more. She had to stop this invasion at its source, close whatever portal they had opened, yet where
was
that portal? It couldn't be Terras.

“Send the riders.” Haven glanced at Anylus. “Royal Adept, Kara stole from you, lied to you, and concealed the identity of a Demonkin against the decrees of my father.”

“That is all true,” Anylus said.

Haven turned on Kara. “Do you understand the punishment for these transgressions, Royal Apprentice Tanner?” He paused, his scowl hardening. “Or should I say, Royal Apprentice Honuron?”

Kara understood exactly what her punishment might be. Execution. Yet she couldn’t die just yet. She still had too much to do.

“Do you have anything to say in defense of your apprentice?” Haven asked Anylus.

“Only that I understand her. I believe her intentions were good.”