The Arcana: Shadow Wars, Codex I

XXVIII

Amyntas, Protector of Innocents

In which Edana avenges herself

They took to the stairs two at a time, with Lady Nensela in the lead.

“That spell Ziri did,” Bessa began, “the one to scry Edana. Do you know why he acted the way he did?” She held up her glowlight, the better to keep from tripping.

Without stopping or turning around Lady Nensela answered, “Were Halie not with us, I would fear for Edana. Take comfort in her presence and do not fret, for it serves us not.”

Bessa ground her teeth, but tried to see things from Lady Nensela’s point of view. For thousands of years the seer had relied upon the Seeker for guidance and sight beyond sight. Now in their world’s darkest hour the Seeker had left her, blind and adrift. Apparently. Yet Lady Nensela counseled faith, and of all people she had the moral suasion to check any complaint Bessa might make. Thus, Bessa kept her silence.

As she suspected, Lady Nensela’s goal was the oraculum. However, Bessa would not cross the threshold before she ran her glowlight over the posts and lintels, Leo’s warning ringing in her mind.

No strange symbols lined the door.

“What good does this room do us?” Bessa asked, stepping inside. The moon had set already, but as a seer Lady Nensela wouldn’t need celestial lights to activate the oraculum; any reflective surface would do if she wanted to contact someone. Though, it was unlikely the seer intended something so mundane.

Lady Nensela pointed to the spot beneath Bessa’s bodice, where Sorcha’s Tear lay. “The oraculum will magnify the power of the stone you have. And allow me to see what I must see.”

By starlight the water looked normal, as Bessa saw when she came close enough to hold her glowlight over it. Crystal clear, not the violet of the asrai waters Leo had described to her. Whatever Honoria did in this room, she apparently did not use unholy methods to do it.

On the other hand, the kibisis the sorceress Cingestissa had given Edana weighed against Bessa’s thigh. The silvery-gold pouch dangled from the belt she had tied around her waist, and physically was as weightless as a ball of thread. But the psychic weight of carrying Murena’s keystone inside the pouch was another matter entirely. Lady Nensela had insisted Bessa retrieve it from Edana’s chambers in her house before they set out for Karnassus. However, she had yet to explain what she wanted with the infernal stone, and the possibilities preyed upon Bessa’s mind.

“What do you need me to do? And are you sure we can’t be seen? If an Erebossan uses this room, is it safe for us to use, too?”

“You are wise to worry about such things. However, the ones most likely to threaten us will be occupied by the goings on in Honoria’s antechamber.”

Still uneasy, Bessa hesitated. “Can’t the fellshades see you? I mean you, Your Grace. People who worship the Reaper are under attack. The asrai and the Sea Lord’s daughter were captured. Edana said you and the seers were forced to separate after your conclave. Are you sure you’re all accounted for? Are you sure the Seeker’s Own will not be attacked?”

“It is my prayer that they are safe.”

“What of you? Edana said you live in the suburbs because you are sought after. Because you earned a reputation as a powerful seer. Halie implied you have a part to play, in this ‘Aeternity War.’ You are the one who acted on the vision, which means you are the one she needed to find. Doesn’t that mean something? If you are eliminated, doesn’t that mean something?”

Lady Nensela shuddered, and abruptly turned away from Bessa. “As you say, child. As you say.”

“So you know you’re walking into a trap?”

“Indeed. I have walked into traps before. I have walked out. T’was rare for those who set them to be seen again on this side of Erebossa.” Turning back to Bessa she added, “Please, let us continue. The Red Daggers took Edana to ensure I would be here, at this time. But their means shall serve our ends. Come.”

Something crashed against the door. Edana hovered as close to the ceiling as she could. When she caught her silhouette against the floor she shuddered, then banked to the walls, into the dark where neither she nor her shadow could be seen.

Again she looked around, and finally noticed the floor to ceiling window dominating the back wall. Neither glass nor curtains covered it, hence the breeze she felt. Undoubtedly an abattoir such as this required proper ventilation, as a simple courtesy for the butchers obliged to work in it.

She risked floating down, closer to the door. On the table nearest the door a sheet lay crumpled, but she forced herself to ignore it for now. First she must find out what was happening on the other side of the door.

“You sons of whores!”

Was that Honoria?

Yes.

Intrigued, Edana reached for the knob, then hesitated. Through the closed door a familiar, cloying scent came to her. The wolves at her waist keened. With a shuddering breath Edana imagined her friends on the other side of the door. Why else was Honoria using the mist?

Her heart pounded. No convenient weapons, or weapon-like accoutrements in the room. What could she use? Swallowing hard, she forced herself to glance down at her body. Honoria had not liked her stinger. Very well.

The crumpled sheet caught her eye again. Unable to resist, Edana grabbed at the sheet, and tore off a long strip to wrap around her torso. The wings got in her way, but she refused to be deterred. As fast as she could she wrapped the strip first around her rib cage. From there she formed a diagonal cross over her breasts, looping around her neck and down around her rib cage. Several more times she made the cross, making sure the strips overlapped. When at last she achieved the coverage she sought, she knotted the strip behind her neck.

Edana flung the door open.

At first she couldn’t see anything except the mist. But she heard the bestial howling of the keres, and knew that a battle was joined.

Using the door posts as a swing, Edana launched herself in the room. The bat wings saved her from falling on her face. Immediately she ascended, trying to get a better view of the scene.

Several people clustered in fighting stances stood in the middle of the room. One threw a dagger at one of the keres. Ziri!

Your friends will kill you, Honoria had insisted.

Indeed.

Because she diligently avoided every possible reflective surface, Edana didn’t know if her face was unchanged. But Honoria’s taunts strongly suggested she should not expect anyone to recognize her. Therefore, she couldn’t expect Ziri to trust her in the heat of battle.

“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered. She said a prayer of thanks that neither Bessa nor Lady Nensela were with Ziri. By all means possible she must keep them from ever seeing her in this hideous form.

From her hiding place, Edana studied Ziri’s combat prowess. The arcanus went for clean kills, no torture or posturing.

May he grant her such mercy.

After she killed Honoria.

And where was Honoria? Shape-changed to her true form, between what looked like a portal, and another slab, where Gallo lay. Blood soaked his tunic, but to Edana’s surprise he writhed and moaned on the table.

No, Edana decided: Gallo definitely didn’t know Honoria wasn’t human. Too bad for him, but she had the greater complaint, she judged.

Studying Honoria, Edana visualized a strategy. Surely destroying Honoria should be enough to save the Star Dragons. An arsha’tûm was killable, this she knew from the stories of the heroes of old.

But the trick was that the heroes used special weapons …

Gleaming objects on a smaller table nearby caught her eye. Edana brightened.

Still in their sheaths, her moonbow daggers lay on the table. Furtively she descended into the mist and swooped up the knives, before undulating back to the ceiling. She carefully tucked them into her wrappings on her back as she circled overhead.

Ziri and the others were handily dispatching the keres, killing four of them far more quickly than she had done on her own.

Even so, ten more of the she-monsters swarmed about. Honoria swiveled her head back and forth from the widening portal to the battle.

She never noticed Edana.

Swooping once again, Edana snatched Honoria by her hair and pulled her into the air with her. Chunks of Honoria’s hair came out by the roots, but Honoria couldn’t cry out because Edana paralyzed her vocal cords with the scorpion stinger.

Not stopping there, Edana slammed Honoria face first into the wall. Crack! Blood spurted, then gushed from Honoria’s broken nose. Honoria spat out her teeth, which ricocheted from the ceiling and onto the floor below.

Now Edana flipped her over with her tail.

Fountains of blood poured out from Honoria’s ruined mouth as she gaped at Edana.

“This is for Amelu,” Edana rasped. With the scorpion tail wrapped around Honoria’s waist, Edana was free to use her knives. Slashing down, she deprived Honoria of her arms, and the talons attached to them. They fell to the floor, one of them landing first on the head of a ker.

Not with frenzy but with cold fury did Edana plunge her blade into Honoria’s navel, and slashed, upward to her throat. Again she flipped Honoria, letting the monstrous Erebossan see the keres circling below. Edana shook her so violently that Honoria’s blood and viscera plopped onto the keres.

The keres looked up and reached, howling and jumping.

An idea came to her. By kicking her legs and frantically waving the stumps of her arms, Honoria revealed her own fears. Coldly wiping her blades clean on Honoria’s gown, Edana made up her mind.

“This is for me,” Edana whispered into Honoria’s ear.

With those words she simply dropped Honoria, into the waiting arms of her servants.

The keres caught her, and didn’t spare so much as a minute to bother setting Honoria on the floor first. They simply began ripping her apart the very moment they grabbed hold of her. Honoria’s jaw opened in a silent scream, her face contorted in pain. Because she was looking up, she saw Edana blow her a farewell kiss.

The keres were ruthless, and soon enough Honoria’s eyes rolled into the back of her head.

So, Edana could kill her with her own weapons after all.

Now for her own demise—

“By the gods, no!”

Ziri. For a heart-stopping moment Edana feared he saw her. But no, he and the others were looking in horror at the keres’ handiwork. She ascended, frantic to escape their notice. Even though she needed to die, she did not need to die in the presence of those she-monsters. With her moonbow knives she need not involve Ziri at all in her death—

Why weren’t they escaping? The mist hadn’t abated just yet, though it was far thinner than when she’d first came in the room. Even so, now that the keres were distracted, Ziri and the others needed to flee, before Honoria’s poison turned them into monsters. They still looked human.

In her heart a battle raged. Warning the Star Dragons was the only way to get them out of the room. Shame at her cowardice swelled within her. How could she bear to be seen, to risk them telling Bessa and Lady Nensela of her condition? Could she at least extract a promise from Ziri, to keep silent?

Tears sprang to her eyes. If she were to die as Edana Nuriel, she had to act fast.

She stood up for what was right. May you live to do the same.

So Mama blessed Edana, when she explained why she named her daughter for her long-deceased sister. The first Edana had been an honorable woman of valiant heart. To dishonor her name … Edana swooped, low enough to stay just out of reach of the keres, but still within sight of Ziri.

“Let’s get out of here!” Leo shouted.

Hope sprang in her heart. Maybe they would leave without seeing her? Back to the shadows she went.

“You run,” a woman shouted, drawing Edana’s attention. A high priestess? A queen? On her head was the crown reserved for queens and high priestesses. Yet from whence did she hail, with skin so red?

“Leave her to me,” the mysterious woman continued. “Get as far from this house as you can.”

“What about them?” Ziri asked. He’d retrieved his knife, which he now pointed at the keres.

No one saw Edana, which made the woman’s statement all the more baffling. Clearly the priestess-queen thought they were dealing with a threatening woman, singular, yet she kept looking at Honoria’s remnants, which the keres still feasted upon. How could Honoria still be a threat?

The mist lingered.

Edana shouted, “Leave this room if you value your lives!”

At last Ziri began to look around.

“Was that Edana’s voice?” Leo demanded.

The lions roared, the bears growled, the coyotes howled, the wolves snarled and the eagle screeched.

And Edana wept.

Ziri hesitated. The others clustered to him, glancing about the room for the source of the animal cries.

It took everything she had to speak clearly through her sobbing. “Leave! The mist will destroy you!”

In the heat of battle the Star Dragons had ignored the mist. Now that Edana had called it to their attention, they saw it, and recoiled.

The priestess-queen pointed to the remaining keres and began shouting in a strange language. In the blink of an eye the keres vanished into the mist, which itself began to rapidly dissipate.

Ziri commanded, “Everyone, pair up and find Edana, before Honoria—”

In place of the mist, a black cloud was rising from what scraps of Honoria’s flesh the keres had left behind.

A shudder rippled through Edana. What was the cloud?

Leo’s hands moved so fast she couldn’t track them. Suddenly, a silver bubble enveloped the cloud.

The priestess-queen said, “The shield will not hold. Find your Edana and flee this place.”

Another woman, wearing the indigo and silver robe of a Restorite high priestess, pointed to the portal still behind them. “What will come through?”

“Help,” Gallo rasped.

Ziri backed up and stretched his neck to see him better. “What the—how is it you’re not dead?”

Gallo started to laugh, then coughed instead, his body spasming with each cough. “She—cough—was waiting—coughcoughcough—for Edana. For Edana—cough—to kill me, so Murena could t-t-take my body.”

Blood trickled from his lips, down his cheek, and onto his neck.

“Why Edana? Why not do it herself?” Ziri demanded.

The priestess-queen answered. “Because Honoria doesn’t belong in your world. Murena has to be invited in, and Edana is native to this world. Honoria is not. If Edana wounded Gallo enough, it would complete the spell and Murena could enter this man’s body.”

“You win the prize,” Gallo screeched. “But that—cough—was Honoria’s plan—cough. Murena wanted to—cough—possess Edana.”

They exchanged glances. Edana suspected they were thinking the same thing she was: if Murena possessed her body, he could personally thwart their plans against him.

Or kill them all unawares, strangling their battle against him before it truly started.

“Edana would never cooperate,” Leo said staunchly, folding his arms. “I’ll bet that’s why you’re the one on this table.”

Ziri bolted for the smaller table where Edana had retrieved her knives. With a start, she realized what drew his attention: the remains of her chiton and shawl, shredded beyond all hope of salvage. He held them up for the others to see.

“No blood,” he noted. “But she may still be hurt.”

Murmuring rippled through the ranks of the Star Dragons, but the group spread out and began shouting her name. Leo spotted the pit and began to look down.

Edana’s heart pounded. Even without the mist, the others were in danger. Allowing them to waste time searching for her was unconscionable. The silver bubble expanded as the smoke filled it; a poor container for the evil inside.

She wouldn’t allow herself to think, or she would lose her nerve. First she sheathed her knives, to ensure she did no accidental harm to her friends. Her own appearance was threatening enough. Then she willed herself to glide down, placing herself just out of Leo’s reach.

He jumped back, and swore loudly when he saw her hovering a foot off the floor.

“Arsh’atûm! Kill it!” With a flick of his wrist Leo sent her careening across the room, striking her with a gust of wind like an ice ball to her midsection. The wind slammed her against a wall. Breathless, stunned, she crumpled to the floor. The bat wings draped over her, concealing her.

With her face against the cold floor, Edana trembled in fear and grief. Eyes closed, she waited for the killing blow. At least she would see Mama and Papa soon, she told herself.

The priestess-queen decreed, “Let the works of her wickedness die with her.”

A line from the Sayings! How unexpected, yet reassuring.

Something stung her. She flinched, again and again as someone relentlessly pelted her. Refusing to scream, she clenched her jaw. What were they throwing at her? Not knives, damn it. Something subtle and sweet, a mix of brine and balsam…aged ambergris? Yes, the incense that perfumed the city air on the Sea Lord’s holiest day of the year.

Another wave of grief washed over her. A tear escaped, racing down her cheek. In her mind’s eye she pictured those she loved most, and tried to think of her most cherished times with them.

Cold water suddenly splashed her, eliciting a yelp of surprise. Why did she feel as if she were immersed in the sea?

“Toss that thing in the portal, Leo,” another man was saying.

“Leave her,” the priestess-queen commanded.

Leo began to protest, but Ziri cut him off.

“Add your water to Halie’s,” Ziri ordered.

Vervain. The water splashing over her now bore that scent. Right, hadn’t she seen a Restorite priestess?

Her body tingled. A Restorite … were they trying to restore her?

Ziri’s voice was gentle when he spoke. “Edana, can you hear us?”

They know.

Dying anonymously was no longer an option, but she could not bring herself to hope for her own restoration. Grief shut her lips, and she could make no answer.

“Shhh. Shhh.” This from the priestess queen. “Do not fear. You have fought well, and you have stayed true. Do not fear.”

A spasm went through Edana, forcing her to arch her back. Her skin burned. At last she cried out, seared from head to toe. Wracked with pain she bucked and writhed, thrashing against the wet floor. When, when, when would it be over?

Abruptly, the pain vanished. She huddled against the floor, chilled and shivering. Something soft and warm fell over her skin. With one hand she blindly clutched at it. With the other she removed a wet and heavy object draped over her eyelids. Another blindfold?

Hair?

Her eyes flew open. The priestess-queen stood before her, gazing down at her in open concern. She held out her hand. Edana reared back. Claws! Was the woman a dryad? Did dryads have claws?

“Young mortal, I know how you feel. But you will be fine now. Please, take my hand. We must leave this place, quickly.”

Icy water clung to her skin, but more than coldness made Edana tremble. Hair. That was what she held in her own fist, what she continued to feel when she probed her head. Not snakes. Hair. Her own.

Edana looked up. The exotic priestess did not appear repulsed by her. Her expression was soft, and full of compassion. And Ziri and the others had turned their backs to her. Could she dare to hope … ?

Still the woman held out her hand. Proof enough that she believed Edana could stand. Gathering her courage, Edana looked down.

This time, her tears were tears of joy.

The woman’s outstretched hand felt strong and warm when Edana clasped it. Strong indeed; she pulled Edana to her feet with one hand. Unsteady on her feet, Edana made no protest when the woman embraced her. Especially as the woman used the opportunity to wrap her more securely in a robe of indigo and silver. The robe of the Restorite priestess, who stood by now in the pleated blue chiton she wore beneath the robes.

“What of Gallo, Halie? Is it safe to kill him?” Ziri asked, not glancing back or turning around.

Still clasping Edana, the priestess-queen slipped one of Edana’s knives and its sheath from the wrappings Edana still wore, and tapped Ziri’s back with it. Without turning around, he took the knife.

“Remove his head to be sure,” she said.

Ziri did so, giving Gallo no time to protest. After, he used Gallo’s tunic to clean off Edana’s knife before sliding it back into its scabbard. “Will you destroy the portal, too? Or will attacking only open it further?”

“Look,” Leo said. “It’s already closing. But my little bubble isn’t holding.” He started to edge for the door.

“Can you run?” the dryad?—Halie?—asked her.

“I think so ...”

Evidently Ziri caught the uncertainty lacing her voice, for he strode over to Edana and swept her into his arms. The others took this as a signal to run, and wasted no time in doing so.

The last out, Leo shut the door, as if it might serve as a barrier.

“Should we try for the oraculum? We can summon our gryphons there if we can break out a window,” the Restorite priestess suggested.

“We don’t know what Honoria keeps up there,” Ziri pointed out. “And we don’t have time for another—where’s Lady Nensela? And Bessa?”

He turned this way and that, allowing Edana a good view of the corridor. Behind him she saw a swirl of white fabric. Bessa! Surely it must be her.

A heartbeat later Bessa burst into view, followed closely by Lady Nensela. Their faces glowed with triumph and excitement. What had they been up to?

Bessa rushed forward, ams outstretched when she spied Edana. “You’re safe!”

Ziri shifted Edana in his arms, allowing Bessa to embrace her. With her nose against Bessa’s unruly hair, Edana inhaled the scent of apples and wildflowers, courtesy of the soap the Xenakis housekeepers gave to Bessa.

“Thank you, Great Sower,” Edana whispered.

“Edana?” Bessa pulled back to look at her. Her eyebrows sharply tented in her concern.

“Later for your reunion. Now we run,” Ziri said firmly.

Several other Star Dragons came running up from the other side of the corridor. Everyone seemed unusually alert as they raced down the corridors.

First came the rumbling. Then the ground shook, a warning which barely preceded the explosion that made them all stumble. Plumes of dust blinded and choked them, slowing them down. Through the haze Edana spied rubble behind Ziri’s back.

The walls had fallen.

Black smoke, thick and noxious, furled upward. Lightning flashed inside the plumes. Edana cried warning. All of them, including Ziri, halted and turned.

“Honoria. Keep going, all of you,” Halie said. Facing the smoke, she held out her hands. Bright white orbs appeared over each hand, moments before she flung them at the smoke. Three more times Halie did this, but Ziri still ran, and turned a corner before Edana could see the outcome.

The next thing she knew, they were back in the courtyard where she’d first met Honoria. Ziri’s sharp whistle pierced Edana’s ear. Four heartbeats later came the screeches.

Gryphons, she saw them when she turned her head. The beasts galloped over to them. Ziri set Edana aside on the closest one, then jumped on behind her.

“Fly!”

The gryphon took flight. Edana looked down, and saw Bessa and Lady Nensela mounting their own gryphons.

Something else was happening as well: an abyss opening up in the east wing of the house, where the tower was. Everything in its radius vanished in a violent swirl of wind. Her eyes widened. What was this about?

Nevermind. Her friends were safe. Exhausted, Edana rested her head against Ziri’s chest and closed her eyes. Once again she thanked the Sower, before sleep claimed her.

When Edana awakened, sunlight warmed her face. Soft blankets formed a warm and gentle cocoon around her. The fragrance of roses and vervain lingered on the pillows and sheets. As well, the faint, minty scent of hyssop clung to her hair and skin, telling her that someone had given her a purifying bath. Such kindness brought a smile to her lips.

She opened her eyes and sat up. Someone had clothed her in a simple white chiton. To her left, a domed lid covered a platter on the table next to the bed. A silver pitcher stood next to it, along with two cups. The first cup was empty, the second contained dried tablets made of myrrh, ground up lilies, and other fragrant plants. She scooped one out, then chewed on it until her mouth felt clean.

Lifting the dome revealed bread and cheese and fruits. Little bowls contained her favorite spreads, including a rich cream with a sweet, nutty taste, and a syrup made from honey and roses to drizzle over her fruit. The centerpiece plate featured a dollop of morels, imported from Sirônasse and cooked in wine and seasoned with pepper. A small power scepter kept the plate warm.

The jug turned out to hold a cool drink, an elderflower cordial mixed with lemon and rose water, and sweetened with honey. Edana smiled. Clearly, someone meant to spoil and pamper her. She drank heartily, then set to work on the platter.

Sated at last, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Below, on the floor, a pair of house sandals awaited her. However, she focused on her feet, which peeked from below the hem of her gown. For a long while she stared at her feet, then flexed them and wiggled her toes.

That was when it hit her. A geysar of emotions erupted inside her, and to her own astonishment she began to cry. Silently her tears flowed, then small gasps and sobs escaped her lips. Edana crashed back down on her bed and smothered her face in her pillows. Grief, terror, anger, all of it poured out in wave after wave so intense she felt as if she would die.

But she did not die. She was alive. In spite of everything, everything—she was alive. The unspeakable horrors she had endured! Yet still she lived. Yet still. And the future—Edana took a shuddering breath and her trembling ceased. For a long while she lay on her bed, surrounded by the evidence that she was cared for and had much reason to rejoice in her life. A smile came to her face, and she wiped away the last of her tears.

“Thank you, Great Sower,” she whispered.

Silvery trills of birdsong drew her gaze upward. A lark eyed her from its perch on the windowsill.

“Good morning to you, too,” Edana replied.

Now she looked around. Wherever she was the walls were timber, not stucco or marble. What the room lacked in frescoes and mosaics it more than made up for in coziness. This was a safe place, and she imagined remaining in it forever.

Then she remembered, and she slid off the bed, slipping her feet into the sandals.

A green linen shawl was folded at the foot of the bed. She wrapped it tightly about herself, then stepped outside.

The sound of cheery voices served as her guide, bringing her to a courtyard-turned-banquet room. Sunlight shone on Bessa’s coppery tresses, making her the first person Edana spotted.

With her back to the door, Bessa didn’t see her. Next to her sat Lady Nensela, and across from their couch Ziri reclined with Leo and Halie. As she drew closer Edana saw them enjoying a pile of what she called “fancy bread”: crustless bread torn into bite-sized morsels, soaked in milk, and fried in olive oil. Usually when the Nuriel’s cook had prepared fancy bread she served it to Edana’s family with plain honey. But here in this cozy home, several diners sprinkled theirs with fresh berries, pomegranate molasses, or the rose syrup Edana had enjoyed earlier.

Ahh, so she was not the only late riser.

As if sensing her presence, Bessa turned. “Oh, you’re up! How are you feeling? Join us.”

As one Lady Nensela and Bessa rose, and hugged her in their turn while the others cheered. Never one to seek attention, Edana blushed and averted her eyes, then took her place between her friends.

“Thank you all for rescuing me,” she said. “I know it was a great risk, and I shall not forget it.”

“You’re my sister, and Lady Nensela’s friend, and you’re a Star Dragon to boot: leaving you in Erebossi hands was not an option for any of us,” Bessa replied. The others heartily concurred.

“Since we’re all here, perhaps now you can share what you learned?” Ziri suggested, looking straight at Lady Nensela.

A servant placed a plate in front of Edana, but she waved him off. Under the table Bessa found her hand and squeezed it.

Edana squeezed back.

“Before we start, let’s make sure everyone is on the same line of the scroll. Or excuse me, the same page in the codex,” Lady Nensela said.

In turns they went over the events of the previous day and what discoveries they made. This led to formally introducing Halie to Edana, which left Edana bemused. Finally, Ziri came to the part concerning the second team which accompanied them to Honoria’s.

“The most promising item they found is also the most troublesome: a document similar to the one we found in Gallo’s office. It’s using an infernal code. Literally infernal, so ah, deciphering it won’t be easy.”

When they finally came to the part where Bessa and Lady Nensela went to the oraculum, Ziri leaned forward, his cup poised in midair.

Lady Nensela placed her hand over Edana’s. “Thus far, the giants have attacked farmers, then escalated to Bessa’s family, before at last attacking a fortress. By Murena’s command Her Grace, Halie, was abducted, and by his command the Red Daggers sought you. A trap. You were to serve as lure to entice me into the snare. This I learned when Gallo took you.”

“But why did you come to rescue me? If Murena’s plan to possess me had worked, there’s no doubt his first act would be to kill you. Then we would all be lost. This Aeternity War would be over before we even understand what it is.”

Lady Nensela inhaled and exhaled, a breathing exercise Edana saw her use before. Finally she said, “You know what a broken heart feels like. The only reason I sought Kyanopolis was because the city holds no memories to haunt me. No one here knew my family; no one here knows of my sorrows. A perfect place to be a recluse. But then you came running into that outpost. I lost my daughter. You lost your parents. I felt our threads twine.”

Edana started to speak, but Lady Nensela squeezed her hand.

“Shattered though you were, you put your life back together. Through your grief you showed grace and kindness to others, and fortitude and resourcefulness for yourself. Others I knew with such virtues did not live to reap the joys they cultivated. The prince of Amathis was one such; he chose to die with his people rather than face the pain of abandoning his family. You chose life, and I vowed I would walk into Erebossa itself to keep Murena from reaping you.” Long inhale, long exhale.

At the portal when Gallo took Edana, a vision came to Lady Nensela.

A vision of how to turn Murena’s scheme against him.

All that stood between her and success was a prophecy trap.

“I saw many threads, but only one good outcome. That outcome depended on all of you being true to yourselves. You, Bessa, would stay true to your friendship and bring along Sorcha’s Tear. Ziri would stay true to his experience, and forbid Bessa and me from participating directly in your rescue.”

And Edana would stay true to the Great Speaker.

“The Infernal Ones know our weaknesses and desires, but I had faith in your piousness. Whatever means Honoria might use to persuade or coerce you would not overcome your knowledge that she is a born deceiver. This I believed of you; my plan rested on your virtue.”

“I heard Lady Halie say the Erebossan needed for me to sacrifice Gallo,” Edana said slowly. “If she wanted Murena to possess Gallo, isn’t that proof they don’t have their own bodies? If she and Murena are really eidolons, then does that mean there was once a person named Honoria? One who fell to possession?”

Horror washed over Edana. Did she murder an innocent victim in her fury?

Edana’s emotions were plain upon her face, and Halie looked sympathetic when she replied, “I’m sorry, Edana. I don’t know if Honoria occupied a willing hostess or not. But it’s unlikely anyone caught up on that side was innocent.”

“But how do you know she wasn’t kidnapped, or threatened as I was threatened? Honoria expected me to be desperate to be restored, what if her hostess was also desperate? Can you expel a Sleepless Enemy from someone without killing them?” Edana pursued.

“I could have, if she were alive,” Halie said. “But I sensed no human spirit within the body of this Honoria. Perhaps she was the kind of eidolon that is merely a facsimile of a real person, but even if the body were a true body, there was nothing to save. The only reason I forbid killing an eidolon’s ‘body’ is to prevent the abyssal spirit from occupying another host. In this matter, the previous owner is already past saving.”

“Ah,” Edana murmured. Outwardly she remained calm. Inside, her stomach churned as she absorbed the revelation that even sans a body, an eidolon could still be a threat on this side of Erebossa. Clearly, she must consult a priest before she tangled with such creatures again. By what means might she prevail against them?

An image of Honoria flashed before her eyes, of Honoria backing away. At the time, wrath and hatred had consumed her so utterly that she missed what prompted Honoria to flee her presence: reciting the Sayings against her.

Simple, but it made sense. Yet it seemed too small a thing for Lady Nensela to plan around. If Edana had faltered … shudders rippled up and down her spine.

Lady Nensela continued. While Edana, the Star Dragons, and Bessa were bound by their natures, Honoria was bound by time. Last night was truly the best time to summon Murena: in the third hour past midnight Amyntas, the third wandering star, reached its zenith.

“But Amyntas protects the innocent, and He is in the Seeker’s Alliance, and I am a Seeker’s Own.” Nensela’s lips curved. “Sorcha, too, is an Ally, and Bessa carries Her tear. On that night, at that time, and in the oraculum, I could call upon the Seeker’s power: I asked to see where Murena would next manifest. At my request Bessa had retrieved the keystone from Edana’s apartments in my house, and this, too, served my purposes.”

They all leaned forward now.

“Between the Reaper’s moon and the winter solstice, we must meet Murena in the east. There will be a battle, but not the one I foresaw in my vision. But if we lose this one, there will be no hope of winning that one. Murena will have his remaining servants with him, the remaining Four we know about: Erebossi who pose as humans. And there will be giants. Many, many giants.”