The Tainted City (17 page)

After that, it wasn’t as hard as I’d feared to tell her of my last conversation with Marten. To admit the way he’d used me despite my caution, was still using me, and I had no choice but to let him. I told her everything—well, everything except the part where I tried to kill Marten. The thought of his dry amusement afterward was too infuriating.

Cara listened to it all in silence. When I finished, she slumped against the wall. “Shaikar’s innermost hell, Dev. This isn’t a nightmare? You’re truly here, telling me this?”

I huffed out a short, unamused laugh. “Believe me, I wish this were a nightmare.”

The white sun-lines around Cara’s mouth and eyes deepened. “Martennan…I liked him. When you were wary, I thought you were jumping at shadows, because of—well, because of your childhood. But to give Kiran to Ruslan like that…” She looked down. “I can’t believe I misread him so badly.”

The stricken note to her voice made me glance at her, surprised. I hadn’t thought she’d seen much of Marten. But then, Cara prided herself on her keen eye for character. Her skill at assessing people was what made her head outrider on convoys when she was only six years my senior. She’d seen straight through Jylla, who fooled me blind right up until the day she stole every kenet I owned and cast me to the winds.

I scowled at my knees. “The only thing I can’t figure is how Marten knew about Melly. If he hadn’t realized how to use your letter as leverage, I’m not sure Kiran would’ve come.” I’d certainly have made a hell of a lot stronger effort to talk him out of it. Instead, I’d let myself get all caught up in the idea of Kiran saving Melly for me, and ignored my instincts. “Maybe Kiran told Marten while I was stuck at the mine. If he was that stupid after I told him not to speak of her—once I get him free of Ruslan I’ll kick his skinny highside ass from here to the Whitefires!”

“Dev.” Cara’s voice was oddly choked. “It wasn’t Kiran. It was me.”

“What? No. You were careful in your letter,” I assured her.

She drew in a slow breath, her shoulders set as if braced for a blow. A cold hollowness spread within me like a crevasse yawning open.

“That wasn’t the only letter I sent,” she said.

I waited, the crevasse growing deeper.

“The week after I sent the first letter to you…I found people here in Ninavel who claimed to work as shadow men, but they all laughed at me when I said I wouldn’t spill my tale to them, only to a ganglord. One even tried to force it out of me. I sparked a bane charm and got free, but it made me think twice about trying again. I kept thinking, if only I had a mage’s help to find Pello, or get me in to see Sechaveh…so I sent Martennan another letter, asking if he could arrange any help from the Alathian embassy. He told me when he escorted me through the border that he regretted the Council’s decision about you. He said if I ever needed his help, he’d give it. I thought if I explained we were trying to save an innocent child, he’d be sympathetic. I was sure he’d see that if Melly ended up a brain-burned taphtha addict, it was the Council’s fault for taking your money and sending you to the mines.”

Pain stabbed my palm as my hand clenched on a broken tile. “You told him about Melly. After you promised your silence. When you knew I’d rather throw myself off a cliff than give him that kind of leverage over me.” All that time in the mines, I’d been so certain I could trust her. That unlike Jylla, she kept her promises.

“I’m sorry, Dev! With you stuck in the mines and Melly’s Change coming so soon, I had to do something. You’re not the only one who cared for Sethan. Hell, I was friends with him years before you! You think I could have lived with myself if I didn’t try everything I could to save his daughter?”

I knew her desperation. How could I not, when I felt it beating in my own blood every damn instant of the day? Yet the hurt still went as deep as if she’d cut the rope between us while belaying me on a climb. “I
warned
you Marten couldn’t be trusted.”

Cara raised her chin, her pale eyes fierce. “Telling him was a bad move. I admit it. But gods, Dev—you should understand how it’s possible to misjudge someone despite warnings.”

The breath left me as if from a blow. How dare she compare this to Jylla? I’d had years’ worth of reasons to believe Jylla sincere, not one brief conversation at the border. Besides, even for Jylla, I’d never broken my word.

I wanted to tear into Cara, spit out a vicious stream of words that might vent some of the darkness boiling within. Instead, I squeezed the shard in my hand all the harder, struggling for control. I’d given in to anger time and again this season, and what good had it done me?

Better to take the lesson I should’ve learned from Jylla’s betrayal, and shut out all but cold practicality. She’d always said feelings had no place on a job. I wouldn’t be feeling half so gut-stabbed if I’d had the sense to stick to the easy, uncomplicated friendship Cara and I had shared until that one night in Kost. I sought out the dark, frozen crevasse inside and sank into its emptiness until I could speak without shouting.

“Oh, I know all about mistaken trust.” I couldn’t stop an acid smile. “So. Marten fooled you the same as he did Kiran. No help for it but to deal with the consequences.”

Cara looked all the more unhappy. “Like Melly. What now, since your original plan won’t work? I talked to Liana just this morning. She says Melly’s Taint remains strong, but she warned me Red Dal’s already got a bid in from Karonys House for her.”

I winced. Karonys was just what I’d feared. They catered to highsiders with nasty kinks, and used taphtha to turn their jennies into empty-eyed, compliant dolls. “How much is the bid?”

Cara shook her head. “Liana doesn’t know, but she says Red Dal’s been looking awfully happy, so it must be high. She doesn’t think he’s taken it yet, says he always likes to wait ’til the Change to sign a contract.”

Yeah, Red Dal wouldn’t sign early and lose the chance to hear competing offers. If only the Council hadn’t taken the fortune I’d earned smuggling Kiran across their border, I could have given him a bid Karonys could never match. Weariness washed over me.

“Maybe if I can get Kiran free quickly enough, he could still help,” I said. “If I can’t…” I dropped my head to my knees and mumbled into them, “No doubt Marten will help. For a price.” One far steeper than coin, if today was any guide.

Cara said, “I know how you must hate him. But even if he took Melly hostage, that’s a far better fate than she faces now.” She laid a tentative hand on my shoulder.

I twisted away and shoved to my feet to stare out at the damaged bridge. “I know.”

Tiles rattled behind me as Cara stood. The erratic tock-tock-tock of a drillbird hunting spar beetles on the cupola roof was loud in the silence. At last Cara sighed and said, “And Kiran? What will we do about him?”

“We?” I laughed sharply. “
We
aren’t going to do anything. No point in letting Marten get his claws into you, too. You’ve seen how good he is at it. You want to help me, fine. Keep your eye on Melly for me, make sure Liana tells you the instant her Taint weakens. It’s safer if Red Dal doesn’t catch me sniffing around Melly before I try and get her free, whether that’s with Marten or without him.”

“While you do…what? I’m guessing you think Marten was lying when he said he’d get Kiran away from Ruslan.”

A spike of anger threatened to fracture my tenuous calm. I snapped, “Of course he’s lying! He wants me to play shadow man for him, so he dangles a nice fat carrot. ‘Oh, I’ll help Kiran, once you’ve danced to my tune’…yeah, right. Besides, I’m not going to wait around for weeks. Suliyya knows what Ruslan might do to Kiran in the meantime.”

“You mean to go against Ruslan without another mage’s help?” Cara’s hands twitched like she wanted to shake me. “I know you survived Ruslan and Simon before. But the way you told it, that was thanks to Kiran and that Taint charm his mage-brother gave you.”

True. Simon had been scary enough, but Ruslan? Might as well take on Shaikar himself. If I thought too long on my chances, I’d break and run. But I’d learned long ago in the mountains how to deal with insane levels of risk. Narrow the focus, take the ascent one step at a time, and it’s amazing what odds a man can beat.

I said, “This time I’ve actually got a hope of killing Ruslan. If I can make him break his vow, he’ll get blasted to a cinder.” Better yet if Ruslan broke the vow by killing Marten. “No question I’ll need Kiran’s help, though. That’s why I’ve got to play along with Marten, so I can get the chance to talk with him. Kiran knows Ruslan better than anyone. If there’s a way to trick Ruslan into casting, he can help me find it.”

Cara frowned. “Wait. Kiran’s bound to Ruslan, right? If you make Ruslan break his vow, and the confluence destroys him…might Kiran die too?”

Fuck. Now that was a complication I hadn’t considered. “I don’t know. So yeah, all the more reason I’ve got to talk to Kiran. I might know wards, but I don’t know shit about active casting.”

Cara’s frown remained. “When are you going back highside?”

“I told Marten I’d go back to the embassy tonight.” A prospect I wasn’t looking forward to. Maybe I could keep calm talking with Cara, but I doubted that’d last with Marten. The thought of his infuriating smile already brought bitterness to choke me. “Marten claims he’ll have a plan to reach Kiran ready by then. I have a few things I want to get beforehand. Right now I haven’t so much as a warding charm.”

“If you need coin, I’ve some at Samis’s place,” Cara said.

“Keep your money for water rations. I’ve a feeling they’re gonna get expensive soon.” I didn’t have a single kenet to my name, but that was easily solved once the night markets opened. I hadn’t spent years as a Taint thief for nothing.

“I’ll keep on meeting with Liana. But this mess with Kiran…” Cara hesitated, watching me. “I know you’re angry. But damn it, Dev, you don’t have to face this alone.”

“Alone is better,” I said. “Ruslan didn’t vow not to cast against you.” Alone, I wouldn’t have to worry for her safety. Or deal with the hurt that still clawed at me.

Cara’s hands fisted. “Neither did Simon, but you took my help just fine in Alathia. For Khalmet’s sake, Dev, you’re going against a blood mage! You can’t afford to turn help aside just because you’re too mad to see straight. You want to shout at me? Fine. Whatever it takes to clear that stubborn head of yours. I can take it, trust me.”

“
Trust
you—!” I clamped my mouth shut on the words. Took a breath, and said carefully, “Some things aren’t helped by talking. I just…need time, Cara. It’s been a hell of a day.”

“I can imagine,” she said. “Just don’t run off and pull some crazy solo stunt like you did at the end with Simon. You nearly died—would have died, if not for the Alathians’ skill with healing—and if you do something stupidly rash and get killed after I’ve only just seen you again, I’ll—” Her voice failed, and she turned aside.

I clung to the shreds of my reserve. “Cara…”

“Look,” she said tightly. “You need every advantage you can get. So don’t rule out my help, hear?”

“I won’t.” She was right, I’d be a fool to let emotion handicap me. Yet the words stuck in my throat, for a whole host of reasons.

She let out a relieved breath. “I hope you can get to Kiran tomorrow,” she said quietly, as I moved for the hole in the floor. “I’ve seen the fear in his eyes when he says Ruslan’s name. He’ll need the hope you bring.”

Hope. I sent a swift, fervent prayer to Suliyya that Ruslan would leave Kiran in good enough shape I could provide it.

* * *

(Kiran)

Soft voices spoke at the edge of Kiran’s hearing, awareness stealing closer. He struggled to sink back into dark oblivion. Pain was all that waited for him on waking.

A hand stroked his forehead, and a deep voice called his name in a tone impossible to deny. “Kiran, open your eyes. Come, Kiranushka, wake for us now…”

Kiran’s eyes opened. The sight of Ruslan leaning over him froze his breath—but Ruslan smiled gently at him, his hand warm on Kiran’s brow, and fear slipped away, replaced by confusion. He’d been certain Ruslan would be angry, but why? He couldn’t think past the ache in his head.

He lay in his bed, surrounded by the familiar warded walls of his room, the inset shelves piled with books, charms, and stacks of slate and chalk. Beyond Ruslan, Mikail sat in the ironwood chair from Kiran’s writing desk. The tightening of the skin around his slanted gray eyes spoke of worry, and his sandy hair hung disheveled on his shoulders. Beside Mikail stood Ruslan’s mage-sister Lizaveta, her beautiful face grave and her bare arms crossed over her crimson robe. The sunlight slanting through the bedroom window sparked fire from the jeweled amulet at her throat, silver gleaming against rich umber skin.

The pain in Kiran’s head was an unfamiliar, deep throb, quite unlike the sharp agony of overload from pushing his magic too far.

“What—what happened?” His throat was raw as if scraped by knives.

Ruslan helped him upright against the bed pillows and handed him a jade cup containing rosewater. “Tell me, Kiran, what do you remember?”

The rosewater eased Kiran’s throat. He sought to ignore pain and concentrate. He remembered making an error in a channel design—but no, that was years ago, and Mikail had been the one badly injured. The last thing he remembered was…

Flashing, blurred glimpses came, of Mikail bent over his slate in their shared workroom, Lizaveta laughing as she ate cloudberries, Ruslan tracing a spell diagram…but the memories slipped away as quickly as he tried to grasp them. Kiran focused deeper, turned his mage-sight inward.

Fear lanced through him. Rather than a smooth unbroken ribbon of experiences, the portion of his mind where his memories lay was a lacework of gaping holes. The memories weren’t disordered or blocked—they were
gone
, as if eaten away by acid. His barriers were in a shambles, and at his core, his
ikilhia
pulsed in a raw, bruised knot, frighteningly dim.

“My mind—Ruslan, what’s done this to me? I can’t remember, I can’t—”

“Hush, hush…” Ruslan pressed Kiran back down on the pillows. “You were caught in the backlash of a disrupted spell. Damage is to be expected. In truth, you’re fortunate to have survived. As it was, we feared you might never wake; or that if you did, your mind might be destroyed beyond hope of repair. To hear you speak, and see your
ikilhia
intact…ah, Kiran, you don’t know what a weight off my heart that is.”