Flameseeker (Book 3) (31 page)

Kaijin saw the faces of his parents and brother, happy
and loving, then they twisted into gruesome, burning skeletons. He shuddered
and closed his eyes. All his nightmares and fears converged and swirled in his
mind.

Why have you tormented me all this time,
Za’thaak?
Kaijin hoped that Za’thaak could communicate mentally, as he was
currently unable to speak.

Za’thaak sneered.
“Mortals like you would not
understand my work.”

You would turn against your master, to do what
you’ve done? To pose as Him for some greater goal to appease whatever is left
of your pitiful soulless being?

“He is no longer my master. I am no longer
bound to His will.”

No, you are now bound to Vargas’s will. A
mortal whom you have relied on to carry out your ... ‘tasks’. And it was I—a
mortal—whom you relied on to free you from that orb. And yet, you hesitate to
kill me. Why, I wonder? Is it because of what I am? A Firebrand? Do you fear
people like me, Za’thaak?

Za’thaak paused.
“I fear no mortal. But you
have been branded, and killing you conventionally is no longer a simple task. I
require a little more time....”

“Your time is up,”
Kaijin said.

Za’thaak snarled.
“And what do you intend to do
with me,
Firebrand
?”

Kaijin wanted so desperately to avenge the deaths
of his loved ones, but then he would be no better than Za’thaak—bloodthirsty,
ruthless, uncaring. Kaijin never wanted to lose control of himself like that
again. That feeling of bitterness had seemed to eat at his own soul, and he
knew he would never find peace.
You are going to serve me. From this day
forward, I am claiming you. I am your master.
Kaijin released Za’thaak from
his hold and took a few steps back.
Come here.

Za’thaak’s gaze locked on Kaijin; the afriti
slowly stepped forward.

Kaijin smirked, pleased that the afriti had obeyed
him. He held up his charm.
You’re going to live in here. Contained in the
very source of your own torment, where Almighty Ignis will always bear His gaze
on you.
He paused and thought of Ranaiah at that moment, and the conversation
they once had about the nature of Ignis.

“Like the flames, Ignis is as capable of peace
as He is of chaos.”

She would want me to embrace Ignis’s peaceful
side, rather than His chaotic side,
Kaijin mused, not caring if Za’thaak
listened. Ranaiah’s soft, beautiful voice and smiling face brought a sense of
calmness in him. He fixed his gaze on Za’thaak again and said mentally,
No
more will you cause chaos and destruction, or hurt innocent people. You will
serve me as a flame that overcomes evil.

Za’thaak sneered. Its fists clenched, and it
reluctantly lowered itself before Kaijin, bowing its head.
“Yes ... Master ...”
Afterward, fire burst from Za’thaak. The flames drifted into the charm and
disappeared.

XXXI

Jarial felt himself pinned to the ground by something
he couldn’t see. He felt weak and couldn’t concentrate on his spells. Bright
white flame surrounded him. There was nowhere to escape. Jarial squinted at the
wall of fire. He heard Tachus and the others groaning, but he couldn’t see
through the wall. Were they hurt? The fire’s heat intensified. Jarial felt as
if skin was melting, but he felt his face and looked down at his hands and realized
that he was unscathed.

The fire slowly died down, revealing Kaijin, who
stood alone with his back to Jarial.

“Kaijin?” Jarial called. “Can you hear me?”

Kaijin didn’t answer. His head was down, and he appeared
to be holding something. His clothes were ripped and torn, the remaining
tattered edges smoldered. Part of his back was exposed, revealing what looked
like a dark tattoo of Ignis’s symbol.

Strange,
Jarial thought.
When did he get
that?

The afriti was gone, and the fires that burned
around the room subsided. The hanging tapestries had burned to tattered, blackened
scraps. Shards of stained glass from one of the broken windows above had melted
into puddles on the tiled floor.

Jarial drew in a breath. The sight reminded him of
Easthaven.

Everyone else lay on the ground, their heads covered
with their hands. They soon began to stir.

Nester got up first, groaning and rubbing his
head. “Ugh! What in th’ soddin’ ’ells ’appened?”

The others struggled to their feet.

“Kaijin,” Omari said, looking toward Kaijin, who remained
still with his head inclined downward. “Whatever it was he did must have worked.”

“Aye? But what did ’e do? Did anyone see?” Nester
whipped his head around to look at at the rest of the group.

“I did not,” Zarya said, shaking her head. “So
much fire everywhere, I couldn’t see.”

Jarial cautiously approached Kaijin, focusing on
the symbol on Kaijin’s back. The mark appeared to be branded onto his skin,
producing a raised scar. Jarial sensed strong magic emanating from it—not
exactly arcanic in nature, but extremely powerful.
Could that be the
afriti’s doing? Or perhaps ... Ignis?
He stopped beside Kaijin, who was
clutching his charm and appeared unaware of his surroundings.
The charm
gave off a pulsating white glow, as though alive. Jarial sensed that the charm’s
magic exuded tranquility.

“Kaijin?” Jarial called again, leaning his head
in. “Please answer me. Are you all right?”

Kaijin’s head slowly turned. His eyes flared
briefly with fire then returned to normal. He nodded once and said in a shaky
voice, “I’m all right, Master. Everything is all right.”

“How did you ...” Jarial began in a whisper.

“I can’t explain how, but somehow I knew what to
do.”

Four guards approached the two of them. Omari,
Nester, Aidan, and Zarya stood around the guards and looked at Jarial and
Kaijin. The remaining guards converged around Vargas, who lay motionless,
facedown on the ground.

Tachus pushed his way through the group and Jarial.
He stood in front of Kaijin, gazing upon him with surprise and curiosity.

“Young man, what have you done?” Tachus asked.

Kaijin looked at him blankly. Then, without
warning, he began to fall forward.

Tachus caught him in time, and Jarial assisted,
putting Kaijin’s arm around his own shoulder to keep the young man on his feet.
Tachus released Kaijin and let Jarial handle it. Kaijin’s eyelids fluttered,
and his face was pale with exhaustion.

“Easy now, Kaijin,” Jarial said. Straining to hold
up Kaijin’s dead weight, he beckoned Aidan’s assistance.

The half-Dragon drew near and effortlessly picked
Kaijin up in his arms.

“Honored
Shak’ha,
” Jarial said. “I humbly
request your permission to allow Kaijin to rest here at your mansion.”

Tachus gave a curt nod and gestured to the four
guards to escort Aidan and Kaijin away. Once they were gone, Tachus stormed
over to Vargas. The remaining guards quickly stepped back from the enraged
shak’ha
.
He grabbed the old man by the back of the robes and hefted him up to his feet.
“You! Vargas ...”

“My business with Tachus remains unfinished,”
Omari muttered.

Scowling, Jarial spun around and glared. “Kaijin almost
died saving your pitiful hide, boy, and all you can think about is your own
revenge?”

“You do not understand, Master Glace. Tachus is—”

“Enough!” Jarial saw a spectrum of colors cross
his vision as he felt his rage rising. “Part of being a member of the Nine is
knowing your priorities. Your selfishness will one day cost you your life.”
Just
as Xavorin’s did him.

Frowning, Omari lowered his head.

Nester opened his mouth, about to speak.

Not wanting to hear whatever nonsense Nester had
to say, Jarial barked, “Silence!”

Nester mouthed the words, but no sound came out.
Blinking in surprise, he tried again with the same result. He glared at Jarial.

Jarial returned his attention to Tachus, who was
firmly shaking Vargas by the shoulders.

“Wake up, fool!” Tachus demanded.

Vargas groaned. “What ... What happened? Where am
I?”

Tachus narrowed his eyes. “Do you not recall the
chaos you and that creature caused here?” At Vargas’s blank look, Tachus
growled, and shook him again, more roughly. “Your betrayal to me?”

Vargas grunted. He looked at Jarial a moment, then
back at Tachus. “I—I don’t understand,” he whispered, confused.

Tapping his chin, Jarial looked back at his companions.
Zarya appeared deep in thought about something. “What is on your mind, my
dear?”

Zarya looked back at Jarial, but didn’t respond. Instead,
she approached Tachus and Vargas and said, “Honored
Shak’ha
, I don’t
think Vargas is your enemy, nor has he ever been. He’s been under the influence
of the afriti, whom Vargas probably believed was a servant of the Firelord.”

Vargas’s mouth hung open. “What? But—”

“And what would a Celestran priestess know about
the Firelord’s servants?” Tachus asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“My friends and I met a Dragon, who told us about
the nature of afriti,” Zarya explained. “They serve Ignis and do not simply
destroy without reason. They do not create chaos for the sake of chaos. But
this particular afriti apparently went against the Firelord.”

“For what reason, I wonder?” Tachus asked.

Zarya shook her head. “That, we may never know.”

“But Kaijin might,” Jarial interjected. “He is a
Firebrand, after all.”

Tachus’s eyes widened slightly. “Truly? You will
have to tell me of all this, then. But in the meantime, Vargas’s actions
against my city—and me—cannot be forgiven so easily. He will have to earn my respect
and trust again.” He gestured to the remaining guards, and they took Vargas
away. Tachus turned his gaze to Omari. “And as for you, you seem to still be
bent on having my head for the death of your master. I stand by my previous
response about the matter.”

Lightning flashed in Omari’s eyes. “How dare you!”
He moved forward, but Jarial held out his arm, stopping him.

There’s more than one way to resolve this mess.

“
Shak’ha
Tachus,” Jarial began, “if you do
not turn yourself in, you will be a wanted man and hunted to your death by the
Council. You cannot run forever. Even if you manage to avoid us, your guilt
will consume you, and you will die broken and powerless.”

Tachus’s lip curled. “And who do you think you
are, dictating the terms of
my
life?”

“With all due respect, I am trying to make this as
easy as possible for all of us. You helped us stop the afriti, so there is some
merit in you. I think I have a solution to your dilemma.”

Omari gazed wide-eyed at Jarial, but wisely remained
silent.

“Turn yourself in to the Council and send your
son, Saris, back here to rule Zebi in your stead. Then, at least, the honor of
your family’s name would not be completely tarnished.”

Tachus rubbed his chin. “And what does the Council
intend to do with me, should I turn myself in?”

Jarial sighed. “That, I do not know. I am not the
one to make the final judgment.” He was not as well versed in the Council’s politics
as he once had been, but he had a feeling that not much had changed since his
days as a member. “I will see to it that your efforts in helping us are
mentioned, which may soften the punishment the Council recommends.”
Since
they’ll probably recommend death.

“I will give you an answer soon, Jarial Glace.” Tachus
walked down the hallway back toward the main room. Masrah, who had been
standing against the wall, practically hidden in plain sight, peeled himself
from the wall and followed.

When the echoes of their footsteps could no longer
be heard, Omari muttered, “I cannot believe this. You are being too lenient
with him, Master Glace!”

Jarial raised an eyebrow. “Lenient? Saris won’t be
considered for the Council position if he takes his father’s place here in
Zebi. Your Council seat will be practically guaranteed at that point. That
is
what you wanted, was it not?”

Omari averted his gaze. “Well ... yes ...”

“Jarial, can you really prevent
Shak’ha
Tachus from possible death?” Zarya asked in a near-whisper.

Jarial shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“If the Council puts him through a fair trial,
then it is very well possible,” Aidan spoke up.

Jarial looked to the giant.
If only you knew,
Aidan.

Nester waved his hands, trying to get Jarial’s
attention.

With a frown, Jarial turned to the brownie and disabled
the
silence
spell that still lay over him. “No comments about what
you’ve seen, Nester. I am not in the mood for your quips.”

Nester pouted. “I wasn’t gonna say nothin’!”

Jarial whirled and started down the hall. “Good. Because
now I think is a good time for us to see about Kaijin.”

XXXII

Kaijin awoke late that evening to the sound of Sable’s
purring and the tingle of her vibrating body against his legs. He opened his
eyes and stared up at the low wooden ceiling where Miele clung to the grooves
between the slats. She stretched her wings and yawned, and then turned her
ochre eyes on his. Happiness filled his mind as she swooped down and landed
beside him on the bed.

Kaijin sat up, propping himself on his elbows. His
mind swam back into focus. He thought about all that had happened earlier, and
one image remained branded into his mind.

Za’thaak.

The mere thought of the rogue afriti made Kaijin involuntarily
grab the charm he wore around his neck. The charm felt hot to the touch. Za’thaak
was contained within it, and Kaijin wondered if the afriti could still hear his
thoughts. Kaijin stared intently at the charm and concentrated.

“Do not waste your time toying with him,”
a
fiery voice whispered from the candle sitting on the bedside table.
“He is
insignificant. Weak. He will soon learn his place.”

Startled, Kaijin blinked out of his meditation.
Ignis?
Holding his breath, he looked at the candle, which burned steadily. When the
voice didn’t reply again, he exhaled.
But you find pleasure in toying with
me,
it seems.

Sable lifted her head up from her curled position
and watched Kaijin. She meowed once to get his attention.

Kaijin looked from the charm to Sable, and then to
Miele. “Have you two been keeping me company while I slept? Thank you.” He
smiled and scanned the rest of the dimly lit room. He heard light snoring and
looked toward the corner, where the candle’s ring of light outlined someone
sitting in a cushioned chair.

Sable purred louder, and her eyes gave off a subtle
white glow before returning to their normal, haunting green. Kaijin slid out of
bed, retrieved the candle, and tiptoed quietly to the figure. The candle cast
its light over Jarial’s youthful face. Jarial was fast asleep, and Kaijin
smiled, watching him. It was the first time he had seen his master looking at
peace in a long time.

Sable leapt off the bed, crossed the room and
jumped into Jarial’s lap. Jarial woke with a start. “Gah! Sable! What in the—”
He paused and looked up at Kaijin groggily. “Oh, you’re finally up.”

Kaijin smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.”

Jarial shooed Sable off his lap and stretched. “It
was quite a day today. How are you feeling?”

Kaijin set the candle down atop a low, wooden bureau.
“I feel fine, Master, though still a little shaken. I can still remember much
of what happened.”

Jarial scooted to the edge of his chair, his gaze
intense. “Do tell.”

“I absorbed Za’thaak’s power. I don’t know exactly
how. I felt so much malice in him—so much pain and vengeance. It was similar to
how I feel when I get really angry and unable to control myself.”

Jarial rubbed his finger over his lips, his eyes
never lifting from Kaijin. “Go on.”

“I was able to control Za’thaak and contained him
in my necklace. He ... listened to me. The Dragon was right when She said that
afriti always serve a master.”

Jarial dropped his hand. “So you
enslaved
that creature? You did not kill it, after all it had done?”

“Part of me wanted to, but I think I can make
better use of him if he serves me so that he would learn to serve Ignis again.
Za’thaak is a creation of the Firelord, after all. Despite his past deeds, I
think he can be made into a great and powerful ally if he is steered in the
right direction.”
Ranaiah would probably want it that way, too.

“I think it’s a bad idea, Kaijin.” Jarial frowned.
“What if Za’thaak betrays you like he did Ignis? What if he tries to corrupt
you like he did Vargas?”

Kaijin shook his head. “I do not know what he was
trying to achieve before or why, but I managed to stop him. If he betrays me,
then I know to stop him again. If he is wise, he will not try to contest with
me or Ignis anymore. Because perhaps next time, I may
not
spare him.”

“And what exactly do you intend to do with him?”

Kaijin thought for a moment. “I want to quell his
vengeance and channel his power into something more positive, like helping to
protect the people I love from ill-doers, rebuilding fallen cities like
Easthaven, helping the suffering, transforming all of Exodus into a world of
peace.” Kaijin smiled dreamily. “Za’thaak is like fire in its natural state. He
is capable of peace, just as he is chaos. But one side currently overtakes the
other. In due time, he will be balanced.”

“I see,” Jarial said. “You sound sure of yourself.
I can only hope and trust that you are making the right decision about this. I
am in no position to stop you—not anymore. Even for all the years you’ve been
with me, I seem to never stop learning new things about you each and every
day.”

“I appreciate your respecting my wishes,” Kaijin
said, his smile slowly returning.

Jarial stood up and walked to the door. “You
should probably talk to Tachus before it gets too late. He’s been wanting to
speak to you since this afternoon. He asked me to fetch you when you awoke.”

Tachus.
Kaijin felt a lump form in his
throat. There was still the matter of Ranaiah, but the more he thought about
it, the less inclined he felt to bring it up.
Surely, he would think me too
dangerous of a man to marry his sister now.
If those were truly Tachus’s
thoughts, Kaijin wouldn’t blame him if he refused.

* * *

Tachus paced the library as he pondered the day’s
events. He stopped in front of the window and looked out at the moonlit city.

A Firebrand,
he mused. He was knowledegable
about the chosen few of Ignis, but he never thought in all his life that he
would personally encounter one.

“The fires have all been put out, but the people
have been voicing their concerns about their mysterious causes,” his wife,
Niveah, said from the library’s long reading table behind him.

Tachus spun and faced her. “I have no doubt the rumors
and speculation are starting now. I suppose it was only a matter of time. I
will make this transition as swift and silent as possible.”

She looked at him, her soft brown eyes full of concern.
Her full lips parted, and she stood and approached him, her arms opening in an
invitation to embrace. Tachus gathered her against him with a sigh and nuzzled
his cheek against her dark hair.

“What are they going to do with you, Tachus?” she
asked in a low, quivering voice.

The thought of many possibilities continued
haunting his mind. “I do not know, my dear. However, Jarial and I talked at
great length earlier this evening. He seems like a reasonable man. He assured
me that he will do what he can to ease my punishment. Masrah will have to come,
as well.”

“I see.... And what of Omari? And Amil? What if
the Batsuyou attack once Saris has taken your place?”

Tachus frowned and gently puhed Niveah away from
him. The thought of an attack made his blood boil. “Jarial assures me they
won’t, but I will not rule out the possibility of a betrayal. My last order as
shak’ha
will be to keep all guards on alert for a possible Batsuyou attack in the
coming days.” He sighed. “All I wanted was for Saris to succeed. To represent
our family amongst the most highly esteemed circle of mages in the world. And
now, it seems, those hopes have been shattered, our family’s honor tarnished,
perhaps forever. Omari does not have nearly the skill or discipline, yet Amil
somehow managed to rub shoulders with some of the Councilmembers and encourage
them to choose his son over mine.”

Niveah stroked the side of his face as she gazed
at him deeper. “Perhaps Amil did, but was all this worth it?”

“My attempts to oust Omari in order for the true Councilmember
to ascend? Yes. I think it was. But I wish it did not have to come to this.”

“So you regret these assassination attempts?”

Tachus pursed his lips and looked at her in
defeat. There was a reason Niveah had always been deep in his counsels, and his
agent and confidant. She saw through him, always, and into his heart.
Of
course I do. A man needlessly lost his life.

When he didn’t answer aloud, she placed her hands
on either side of his face and slowly pulled it down to hers. Her lips met his
in a soft kiss. “I want peace between our families. One man’s death has
affected our city, our family ... and my husband.”

He closed his eyes and knew what he had to do.

“Ah ... hello?” called a voice from the library’s
exit.

Tachus looked up. Kaijin, his face flushed
slightly, stood in the doorway, staring into the room at them. His bat familiar
was perched on his shoulder. “I’m sorry to disturb you both. I can come back
when—”

“No,” Tachus said quickly, releasing Niveah. He
gave her an apologetic glance, but she nodded in understanding and, with a
smile at Kaijin, quietly left the room.

“Have a seat, Kaijin,” Tachus said, gesturing to
an empty chair at the reading table. “I trust you are feeling better now?”

Kaijin nodded curtly and sat. “I am, sir. Thank
you.”

Tachus sat down across from him and folded his
hands atop the table. “Your master, Jarial, and I spoke at length. I must say,
he is a very honorable man who has gained my trust. I will go with him quietly
to Ghaeldorund, and Masrah will accompany me. Jarial had also told me much
about you. It is all very fascinating. In all my years as a cleric of the
Firelord, I never thought I would meet a Firebrand in person. And I have not
seen anything quite like what I saw you do earlier today. Please enlighten me
on just how you managed to contain that afriti.”

Kaijin scratched the back of his head. “It is something
I cannot explain in words, honored
Shak’ha.
I just ... felt a divine
power come over me, and I suddenly had insight.”

“A divine power ...” Tachus narrowed his eyes.
“Are you saying Ignis possessed you?”

“Oh, no.” Kaijin quickly shook his head. “I’m just
saying that whatever it was that came over me wasn’t any kind of magic that I’d
ever known.”

Tachus nodded, stroking his chin. Kaijin had
clearly said all that he could. Perhaps there were just some things that were
better left to the gods.

“Sir,” Kaijin said, breaking Tachus from his
thoughts. “There are some things that I had wanted to speak to you about, if
you have time.”

“Of course, Kaijin. It is late, but you have my
ear.”

“In the matter of Vargas, what do you intend to do
with him?” Kaijin asked.

Tachus arched an eyebrow. “What do you
want
me to do with him?”

“I would like for you to surrender him to me so
that he may be returned to the Pyre.”

“He has caused me much trouble with his betrayal,
which ... wasn’t exactly his own doing ...” he trailed off, and Kaijin nodded.

“He had us all fooled, including the priestess.”
Kaijin paused and looked at him more intently. “Ranaiah.”

Tachus sat back in his chair at the mention of his
sister. The more he dwelled on her, the more he began to realize that perhaps
she was right about her reasons for leaving.
She never really wanted anything
to do with this ongoing feud anyway. But she never understood.
He swallowed.
Or perhaps
I
was the one who didn’t understand.

“Honored
Shak’ha
?” Kaijin asked Tachus.

Tachus, snapped from his thoughts, looked back at
him. “Ah, yes. Of course. Ranaiah has been ... upset about things.”

“She has,” Kaijin said. “And before I left, I made
her a promise that I would try and make things right.” He looked down at his
hand, at a ring on his right digit. “She wants peace between the families, but
she believes that you are so bent on acquiring more power and influence, that
you are blinded to reason. Which brings me to the other thing I had wanted to
talk to you about.” He idly fiddled with the ring, and Tachus nearly gasped
when he realized it was Ranaiah’s.

What is he doing with—
Tachus’s felt his
heart drop down into his gut. Why would she give her most precious ring to him?
Did she know that he was a Firebrand, also?

“I care very deeply about Ranaiah,” Kaijin continued.
“I love her more than anything in the world. She means everything to me, and I
want to spend the rest of my life with her.” He licked his lips. “Honored
Shak’ha
,
I wish to marry Ranaiah.”

Tachus widened his eyes, and he felt as though a
great weight pressed down on his chest.
My sister? Marriage?
“You
what
?”

Kaijin winced. “Would you do the great honor of giving
me your blessings to take her hand in marriage, sir?”

The young man’s tone was genuine, but Tachus
wasn’t sure how to answer as he waded through the mess of thoughts in his
brain. “I will soon be in Ghaeldorund where I will be tried for murder. I doubt
my ‘blessings’ would hold much weight.”

“I just thought it would be the respectable thing
to do to ask you first.”

“Have you even talked to her about this yet?”

Kaijin looked away. “No, not yet, but—”

“Then this discussion may not even matter.”

“I do plan to talk to her as soon as I return to
the Pyre.”

Tachus huffed. “And if she says ‘no’?”

Kaijin hesitated, clearly torn. “Then I will not
bring up the subject ever again.” He sighed softly and fiddled with the ring
again. “Please understand, honored
Shak’ha,
that my reason for wanting
to marry her is strictly love. However, Uncle Amil believes that our union
would also bring peace between the two families.”