Riddle of Fate (24 page)

The Highest shook his head, his mouth turned down at the corners. There was sadness in his eyes. “We will find her. Sooner or later.”

Like you found me?
Derrin kept his silence, hoping with all his might that Khaya had run.

“Wait outside,” the Highest said. “Reez and I have a few matters to discuss before the hearing reconvenes.”

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Derrin stood before the daises. Two Masters he didn’t know personally had taken the places of Garelle and Meir. Reez stood in front of the Highest. She wore the silver mantle of the Highest’s attendant.

Garelle and Meir were led in from the back of the room. Meir still struggled against those who held him. “I am a Master! You will unhand me this instant!” His protests fell on deaf ears.

Garelle’s face was icy. She stared at Derrin. The only emotion that was apparent in that glare, was hate. Her eyes burned with it. Once they were next to Derrin, silence fell as the Highest held up a hand. “I am sure you have all noticed my attendant. Reez is here as a Truth Seeker.”

Whispers sprang up throughout the room and quickly rose to a buzz. All knew of Truth Seekers – in theory. Only once before had one been raised. A Truth Seeker was called upon if discord rose among two or more Collectors and all other means of settling the dispute had been exhausted.

“Let the record show,” the Highest bellowed and the room quietened, “Reez has an ability to tell lie from truth.” His gaze shifted to Garelle and Meir. “For those who stand before the Order today, let this be a warning: If you lie, it will be known.”

Meir fidgeted with the ring on his third finger. Not once did he meet the Highest’s gaze. Suddenly his head snapped up, his jaw set and he started to shimmer. After a moment his form became solid again and he cast around frantically. Again, he flickered.

“We have placed a ward over the room, Meir,” the Highest said. “No one can Leap in or out. You will have to face questioning. There is no escape for you.”

“Oh, I wasn’t trying to…” he stumbled, “I mean I wasn’t going to run.”

“Let us continue,” the Highest said, brushing aside Meir’s denial. “Garelle Prect and Meir Ambir, you are charged with conspiring against the Collectors. Garelle, were you leading an attempt to undermine the authority of the Highest of the Collectors?”

“I was leading, in accordance with your orders, an attempt to detain Derrin Rhai and to monitor and track Khaya Pherela. We were to ensure that she was exiled. She is to live a life devoid of any human interaction.”

“Truth,” Reez said.

“Did you not, then, offer Khaya Pherela her life and acceptance to the Collectors in exchange for Derrin Rhai?”

“Yes, I did,” she said through gritted teeth.

“As you don’t have the authority to offer anyone such a deal,” the Highest said, “what was the plan?”

“The plan was to get Derrin in to face justice by any means necessary. If that meant giving a human false hope, then I, for one, was happy to do that.”

“So, you never intended for her to become a Collector at the end of her natural life?” the Highest asked.

“As you said, I don’t command the authority to extend such a deal.”

“You wench!” Derrin burst out. “Do you have no morals?”

“Do not question my morals,” Garelle said. “Not you, oath breaker.”

“Garelle,” the Highest said, giving Derrin a reproachful look, “were you ever intent on doing anything that you didn’t consider in the best interests of the Collectors?”

“All I have done, I considered to be for the good of the Collectors.”

“Was it your intention to overthrow my rule?”

“No.”

The Highest paused, looking to Reez. She nodded, looking as surprised as Derrin felt. He wanted to shout that Reez must be mistaken. It had to be a lie. They’d conspired. They’d broken Collector laws.

“Meir,” the Highest said, “was it your intention to overthrow my rule? Were you conspiring against the Collectors?”

“No, we might have made mistakes, but we thought we would achieve a greater good.”

“Made mistakes?” Derrin asked, shaking his head. “Try broken laws. You two are more hypocritical than a murdering priest. You orchestrated the deaths of at least two mortals.”

“What?” Garelle and Meir said at the same time.

“Don’t pretend to be innocent. Reez will reveal your lies. Leena and Merrit were murdered and whoever did it, took great pains to make it look like Khaya was the perpetrator. You wanted her to be accused of the murders so that if the lawmen didn’t hang her, the Company would dispose of her to cover their own tracks.”

“We didn’t do that,” Garelle said.

“Reez,” Derrin said, “please expose them. Tell everyone here the truth. These two are not true to our oaths.”

“What they’ve said is true,” Reez replied. “I don’t detect deception in their words.”

“No,” Derrin said, “that’s not possible. You must be mistaken!”

“Where truth and lies are concerned,” Reez said calmly, “I am never mistaken.”

“What was your plan then?” Derrin asked, pointing a finger at Garelle. “How were you planning to bring Khaya to so-called justice?”

“We weren’t sure how to proceed. We had Brier befriend her, but we hadn't determined how to utilise their relationship. At one point we hoped he would act out on his own, murder her. He was passionate about our laws. But for the time being, we were watching her, observing her in her day-to-day life. When she discovered her second ability, we hoped the Company would take care of the problem for us.”

Derrin glanced at Reez, but she nodded. He cursed under his breath. What was going on?

“And what role did Heran play in your games?”

“I think Heran should speak for himself,” Garelle said.

The Highest waved a hand and Heran stepped forward, his hands clenched in fists and the corners of his mouth drawn down. “Well?” the Highest said.

“Garelle and Meir recruited me to work with the mortal,” Heran said.

“Why?” the Highest said. “Why not simply deal directly with Brier themselves?”

“Bah,” Meir huffed, “had it been up to me, I would not have had any contact with mortals unless they were dying. They are notoriously difficult to deal with.”

“Do you forget that you were human once?” Derrin asked.

Meir gave him a sideways glare as answer.

“What were your instructions?” the Highest asked.

“I was to relay the Echelon’s instructions to Brier. Make sure he stayed in line and did as he was ordered.”

“Yes,” the Highest said, “the Echelon. Who gave you the authority to set up such a faction? You, as the Echelon, regarded yourselves as so elevated, you even employed servants in the mansion you occupied. Explain yourselves!”

“The Echelon was a way of hiding in plain sight,” Garelle sniffed. “We needed a way of gathering information and once it came to light that Khaya had a second ability, we made sure the Company had all relevant information regarding the legacy of people with additional abilities.”

“You don’t see that as interfering with mortal lives?” Derrin snapped, but the Highest held a hand aloft.

“Heran,” the Highest said, and the Collector shrunk back at his name, “did you, at all times, only carry out orders as given to you by Garelle and Meir?”

“Yes, Highest.”

Reez nodded.

“As far as you were aware, did Garelle and Meir break any Collector laws?”

He hesitated. “Not as I understand things,” he said finally. “But they certainly came close to crossing the line.” Garelle gave Heran a baleful look. Meir’s face had turned crimson and he looked ready to throttle Heran. “Once we discovered Derrin was assisting Khaya,” Heran continued, his words hesitant at first, started to tumble from him. “Meir told me to take a more direct approach. We were to subdue Derrin and kill Khaya.”

“And you don’t consider this breaking Collector law?” the Highest bellowed.

“Meir told me it had been agreed by the Masters that if we could kill Khaya in such a way as to not affect any other mortal, it would be lawful.”

“Reez,” the Highest barked, “tell me he is lying, for if he isn’t he is an utter fool!”

“Highest, he speaks the truth.”

The Highest closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“He is lying!” Meir burst out. “I never said any such things!”

“Silence!” the Highest commanded. “We will get to you soon enough. Heran, what was your plan for the mortal’s relationship with Khaya?” the Highest asked.

Heran’s eyes flickered to Meir who gave his head an almost imperceptible shake.

“Meir had… ideas on how we could use him.”

“Such as?”

“He thought that, if pushed,  Brier would snap and kill her.”

“Pushed?” the Highest asked, his eyes narrowing.

“He never shared the details of his plan with me, but I had the feeling it would perhaps do more than straddle the lawful line. Especially since he kept it from Garelle.”

A small smile crept onto Garelle’s face and her shoulders seemed to relax.

“And what do you know of Seb?” the Highest asked.

“Not much,” Heran said with a shrug. “He was there whenever I met the mortal, but he never said much to me.”

Reez indicated he was telling the truth and the Highest appeared satisfied.

“How much did you know about Seb?” Derrin asked, turning to Garelle and Meir.

Neither responded, until the Highest said, “Answer the question.”

“Seb was a level six Collector who had a specific ability that we needed,” Garelle said. “He was quiet and… pliable. So we used him.”

“Why did he help you?” the Highest asked.

Garelle snorted. “We are Masters and he was a level six Collector. No further reason is necessary.”

“Meir,” Derrin said, “you’ve been awfully quiet. Anything you’d like to add?”

“You have no right to question me,” Meir said, glaring at Derrin with narrowed eyes.

“But, I do,” the Highest said. “Any particular reason why you wanted to have Seb working with you?”

“Now that I come to think of it,” Garelle said, folding her arms across her chest and addressing Meir, “you were the one who originally suggested we work with him.”

Meir ignored her. To the Highest, he said, “No. As Garelle pointed out, he takes orders well and carries them out without question.”

“Lie,” Reez said and all eyes flicked between her and Meir.

Meir jabbed a finger in her direction. “You are the liar!”

“Meir,” the Highest said, “did you know that Seb wasn’t a Collector?” Heran’s mouth dropped open. He obviously hadn’t been aware.

“No.”

“Lie,” Reez’s calm voice intoned.

Meir launched himself towards her. “You are trying to smear my name! To cast doubt on my honour as a Collector.”

The Highest stepped in front of Meir, blocking his way. He had no need to physically restrain the Collector. Apparently, he had enough good sense left not to accost the Highest. “She has proven herself trustworthy to me,” the Highest said. “You will restrain yourself or I will have others restrain you. You have been caught out in your lies. If you have any hope of salvaging your situation, start telling us all you know.”

Meir shimmered, but again failed to Leap. “Meir,” the Highest said, “you know we have other ways of extracting information from you. It would be in your best interests to start talking.” His voice dipped low, threatening and Meir seemed to cower before him.

Meir licked his lips, dry washing his hands. “Seb told me that he’d been given a probation period as a Collector. The Order couldn’t reach an agreement on him and so decided to let him have a chance to prove himself.”

“True,” Reez said, “but there is something he is withholding.”

He stabbed a glare at her, his nostrils flaring. “I had a suspicion he might not be telling me the whole truth, but as he could Leap, I assumed he must have been given a Collector’s abilities.”

“As far as you are aware, was Seb breaking Collector laws?”

“I suspected,” he said through clenched teeth. “But at least we were finally getting results. I reasoned if he was on probation, he would simply be sent to damnation should it come to light he’d broken Collector rules.”

“So,” the Highest thundered, “you suspected him of orchestrating the death of at least two mortals and yet you did nothing?”

Meir squirmed under the Highest’s intense gaze. “I thought it would all work out in the end.”

“I’ve heard enough,” the Highest said. “You disgust me. I only need you to tell me one more thing: Where would Seb go?”

“Derrin knows where we stayed in the human realm.” He paused. “Other than that, he spoke of a man he hated in life. He mentioned him several times. I remember, because he said this man lived in Arteal – that’s where I grew up. He spoke of how he wished he could make this man pay. Perhaps he would go there?”

“Take him away,” the Highest said. “We will sentence him later. Garelle and Heran, I believe you two, as misguided as your actions were, did not break Collector law. We will need to make changes to the way we do things. Right now, we have more important matters to attend to. And make sure Meir doesn’t Leap!”