The Rebel’s Gate

The Queen’s Blade Book 7

D.K. Holmberg

Copyright © 2024 by D.K. Holmberg

Cover by Damonza.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Want a free book and to be notified when D.K. Holmberg’s next novel is released, along with other news and freebies? Sign up for his mailing list by going here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

www.dkholmberg.com

Chapter One

The demonstrators were lined up along the roadway. I shifted my blade so that it didn’t get in the way, and marched along the road, my gaze lingering upon them. Some of them were simply protesting, chanting about the danger of the magical weapons that were being imported from Ardem, while others seemed to have a different approach.

“Are they actually yelling about the Queen?” Ellie asked.

“Seems like it,” I said.

I paused where a pair of large, muscular men were shouting. They were positioned in front of a gathering of protesters, leading a chant about the Queen. I couldn’t even imagine doing something like that. This was the Queen, after all.

“I wouldn’t have thought that she would allow it.”

“From what Prince Dorian has suggested,” I went on, still feeling a little surprised that Dorian was sharing anything with me these days, but I supposed after our shared adventure in Ardem, Dorian viewed me more as an ally than an enemy he had to overpower, “she doesn’t want to use force against them, out of concern that doing so might only encourage more violence.”

“But if they decide to do something⁠—”

“And what do you think they will do?” I turned to Ellie, but only briefly, because doing so was far too dangerous. I needed to keep an eye on these protesters. Not only were we dressed in the Queen’s colors, but we were wearing the insignia of the Queen’s household. That combination put a target on us.

“I don’t know. People get a bit wild, you know?”

“I know they do.”

“It’s just that I would’ve expected the Queen to want to keep things quieter.”

It was becoming more and more apparent that I needed to take Ellie to see the Queen, especially given the current situation. I couldn’t keep Ellie away from her for much longer. She needed—and deserved—an opportunity to know the Queen the way that I knew her, and to better understand what the Queen might want from her.

“How about this?” I began. “Once we get back from this little assignment, I will introduce you formally to the Queen.”

It had been an informal arrangement to this point, meaning that Ellie wasn’t truly a part of the Queen’s household. And though I had attempted to bring her before the Crown, the Queen had been in poor health until recently. Until the Queen recognized Ellie as my apprentice, and granted her the benefit of serving the household, it would not be safe for Ellie to go roaming the city and making claims of working for the royal household.

“You’d do that?”

“It’s long past time I did,” I said.

I glanced at the next row of protesters. These were more disheveled and didn’t look to be from the city.

“I’ve seen people like them before,” Ellie said, her voice low. She had clearly noticed that I was looking in their direction. “People who struggle and have had a hard time. Usually it’s people who have been hurt by some of those weapons before.”

“I didn’t realize that Ardem was using so many weapons against others,” I said.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not really sure if the Ardemians have much in the way of weapons, or if it is just a matter of these people blaming Ardem for their situation. Ardemians are the only ones who come out and admit to what they are trading.”

That had been my experience as well. Ardem was one of very few nations that were open about the fact that they had a long history of fabricators and fabrications. And many of the fabrications, from my experience, were also quite violent.

At one point, a pair of men surged forward, lunging at one of the Investigators ahead of us.

Byron.

Irritation surged. I stormed over.

I grabbed the man by the back of his jacket and tossed him back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Several other protesters looked over at me, but then they shrank back.

Byron glanced back. “Sorry about that, Blade. I need to keep a better eye on where I’m going.”

“Not your fault,” I said. “And besides, these people should know better than to attack the Crown’s servants.”

“My fault,” he said again. “I should’ve known better.”

I looked over to where the man was lying sprawled out. He was haggard, dirty, and had a dark gleam in his eyes. I didn’t care for the way he was looking at me, but I really didn’t care for the way that he was looking at Ellie.

I stood in front of her, blocking his view.

“If you have any issues with this procession, then you deal with me.”

“And who do you think you are?” the man snapped.

“He’s the Queen’s Blade,” Ellie said, leaning to look around me.

She needed to be careful throwing that title about in this crowd.

The man sat up, glowering at me. “Then you shouldn’t be there. You should be here. With us.”

At least that answered one question, about whether the man even understood what the Queen’s Blade was.

“I’m just doing my job,” I said. “And none of this is of any concern to you.”

“It’s all our concern. You start bringing weapons into the city, it’s a concern for us all.”

“Weapons controlled by the Crown,” I said.

I didn’t know why I was even arguing with him. It was ridiculous to even think that I could argue with somebody on this matter, as I didn’t have a hand in any of this. I was simply the Queen’s servant, not somebody who was making decisions on her behalf.

I gave Ellie a nudge. “Let’s get moving.”

“Go on,” the man snapped, waving his hand. “Get out of here. We don’t want you here, anyway. We don’t want any of those weapons here.”

Another chant began to build, this one about how the people did not want fabricated weapons.

I shook my head and then turned to Byron. “At least they are getting cleverer with the chants.”

“What should we do about them?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Nothing to do, for that matter.”

“I can have them cleared out of here, if you’d like.”

I looked at the line of protesters along the roadway and then shook my head. “That task would be too difficult for us to deal with. And besides, if we try to clear them out of here, we’ll just stir them up. They’ll move to someplace else, and there’ll be problems someplace else. Just make sure that they don’t move too close to the roadway, and don’t let them interrupt the caravans coming through.”

Byron nodded.

We kept moving, and as we went, I looked over at Ellie. I found her sweeping her gaze along the road, curiosity more than irritation in her eyes.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“I’m just thinking that I might have felt the same way at one time,” she said, shrugging. “I’m not saying that I do. I’m not saying that I understand what they are after or that I even agree with them, but I get it. I would’ve felt the same way. At least, had I not been to Ardem.”

“There was a time when I would’ve felt the same way as well. And I’m still not sure how I feel about all of this.”

I kept my voice quiet, because I didn’t want to have to argue with anybody who decided to bring up a question about why I was here if I didn’t know how I felt. Just because I served the Queen didn’t mean I had to agree with everything she did. Then again, it wasn’t my role to agree with everything. I was her Blade, and that was about it.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Ellie nodded along the roadway. “Because you have most of the Investigators and quite a few constables guarding the road.”

“And more than a few Empyreans,” I said.

I had been surprised that Dorian had been willing to place them here, but then again, it showed a unified front, at least to anybody who was watching. Having not only the constables, who represented the city, but also the Investigators, who served to protect the city from magic, and the elite soldiers of the Empyrean demonstrated what the Queen felt. We were all unified.

“That still doesn’t answer the question,” Ellie said.

I smiled. “No. I suppose it doesn’t really answer the question. There is something out here I need to see.”

“But why did I need to come?”

I hadn’t realized that she hadn’t wanted to come with me. “Am I keeping you from something?”

She glanced down at her hands for a moment before turning and looking up at me. “He said that I could work with him in the palace.”

“He did, did he?”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Dorian taking such an interest in Ellie. It had served its purpose at one point, but now…

Now I wasn’t sure how I felt.

No. That was not true. I knew exactly how I felt about it. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the fact that he was expressing such interest in her, and I didn’t like the fact that I didn’t know the motivation behind that interest. In my mind, there was absolute certainty that Dorian was going to use Ellie in some way. He viewed people as tools. Regardless of the fact that we had started to share a certain understanding of one another, I understood his way of thinking.

“He’s just trying to get me to feel more comfortable in the palace. He said that was going to be important for me as I progress in my role.”

“I suppose that’s not the worst thing, but you have to make sure that you understand the purposes behind such actions.”

Ellie surprised me by laughing. “You think that I’m going to get caught up in politics?”

I shrugged. “Absolutely.”

We were nearing the end of the road. I could see the oncoming caravans, but I could also feel them. And while I knew that there were some Ardemian items mixed within the caravans, I could feel something else about them. I didn’t know what sort of magic I was picking up on, but it was something unique. “Prince Dorian will undoubtedly try to involve you in something, though I have no idea what he intends. And I’m not telling you not to comply. In fact, I think you might be best served by being involved, so that you can understand what he’s asking of you.”

She arched a brow. “You want me to report on what he’s doing with me.”

“And would you?”

I hadn’t planned this, not exactly, but there was something to be said about having someone on the inside. Dorian was still an enigma, not only in what he was after but in his connections. I still didn’t really understand his role in what had happened at the Blade training compound, though I knew that he had investigated it.

“I might be willing to keep an open mind. That is, if you keep an open mind with me.” Ellie grinned. “Maybe this will force both of you to keep working with me.” She started to laugh. “I might really like this, Zaren. This way, I can convince both of you to train me, and then I can see⁠—”

“You can see that you will likely be outmaneuvered.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“I didn’t say that I was going to outmaneuver you.”

“You don’t think that you could?”

“That’s not really my specialty. I’m not really sure what my specialty is, but I’m working on it. However, I do think that Prince Dorian is the kind of person, and has the kind of knowledge, that you have to be careful with, depending upon what he might order you to do.”

“What do you think he’ll have me do?”

“I don’t know. The better question is what does he want from you? As you continue to develop your Blade abilities, he might want something more from you. And if that’s the case, you’ll need to decide if it’s something that you are willing to provide.”

We reached the caravan. Up ahead, I saw Jos leading the Investigators and getting them into position. There were probably two dozen Empyreans arranged around the wagons as well. And even more Ardemian soldiers. However, not only was there the physical presence of the security, but there was something less obvious, at least to most around it. There was a subtle energy that radiated everywhere, and I could pick up on the way that it was building, sweeping outward, and pushing upon me.

It created a barrier, preventing anybody from getting too close to us. That was a good thing, I figured, but how long would it take for others to realize what it was, and how long would it take these protesters to decide to test if they could overpower it? And how long would it be before they managed to find some way to do so?

And how many protesters were here for a very different reason? They might not actually be protesters. They might be here trying to get to the Ardemian fabrications, to claim them.

With that thought, a dozen men suddenly surged toward the caravan.

I felt the buildup of power at the moment an explosion began.

I darted forward, toward the men, unsheathing my blade in a fluid movement, and jabbed with it. In the process, I could feel the rippling of power building. Pressure intensified around me. There was a buzzing sense inside me, a vibrational sort of pained energy.

And the moment I overpowered it, power rippled, retreating.

Then the Empyreans were upon them. They had their own magical armor, fabrications that Matherin himself had made for them, and they battered the attackers. Ellie stayed behind me, quiet. The Investigators hadn’t moved, holding their position around the caravan as I had instructed, and so too hadn’t the constables.

And then within moments, the fighting was over.

“What was that about?” Ellie asked.

“Seems like the protesters decided to elevate their protest,” Jos said.

“No,” I said. “This has nothing to do with the protest. This has everything to do with wanting to claim the power for themselves. And I’m afraid we may end up with more like that.”

The challenge was with these caravans. The Ardemians had thought to mix their own merchandise in with ordinary merchants, but it had been difficult. And now they traveled more openly, with security, but even that might not be enough.

How were they going to handle transporting supplies into the city without fighting their way through the city every time?

“Move,” an Empyrean said. He was stocky, with a scarred cheek, and I had dealt with him before. “We need to get moving, and quickly. The Prince is waiting for us.”

And with that, we surged ahead.

Chapter Two

“Heard you encountered a bit of difficulty,” Dorian said as I strode into the palace. He glanced at Ellie but did so hesitantly. Dorian’s piercing gaze had a weight of intensity in it, and it was the kind of intensity that left me uncomfortable when it was directed at Ellie.

“Nothing that I and your Empyreans couldn’t handle.”

“It took both of you?”

“I’m sure the Empyreans could have handled it on their own,” I said. “But I intervened before that was necessary.”

Dorian hesitated, glancing in either direction along the hallway. We were in the main part of the palace, and the activity here was different now. For one, I didn’t recognize any of the servants. I had no idea who was involved in screening the servants to ensure their loyalty, but I suspected a very different process was now in place compared to when Hobell had occupied the palace. Not only that, but Empyreans were arranged throughout the palace. It looked as if the city and the palace were under siege.

“It is a good thing that you were there,” Dorian said. “I fear that we’re going to continue to have this issue. And the Queen believes that we may need to obfuscate how we are bringing in our supplies. Unfortunately, it seems the protesters are quite proficient in identifying what we are moving and when we are moving it.”

“Then somebody is giving them inside information,” I said.

“Perhaps,” he said, nodding slowly. “Or perhaps it is not quite as alarming as that. However, the idea that we still have somebody in the palace that cannot be trusted is disconcerting.” He twisted his lips into a frown. “After everything we’ve been through, and everything that we have survived, I was hopeful that we would not have to continue to deal with duplicity.”

“Do you think that Hobell still has any influence here?”

“It is possible,” Dorian said. “Much as I am loath to admit it. The danger, as I see it, is that we don’t know how much influence he exerted while he was here.” He nodded to one of the soldiers, and then we moved on. “Which is why I think we need to take a much more aggressive approach to rooting out traitors. I anticipate that you are doing what is necessary,” he went on, glancing in my direction, “but it might involve a more assertive approach.”

“And how assertive are we talking about?” I asked.

“Assertive enough to ensure that anyone who decides to subvert the Crown will find that such action will not go in their favor.” He grinned, and I didn’t care for the way that he was grinning. “The last time that we were attacked was quite unnerving.”

“Only because you didn’t see it coming.”

Dorian turned to me. “I didn’t see it? In fact, I am quite certain that I did see it coming, which is why I took precautions. The problem, however, was that I didn’t know what was coming.” He tapped on his forehead. “And I didn’t know who was coming. And that, Mr. Joha, is also your failing.”

“I didn’t spend that much time in the palace,” I said.

“Another failing,” he said. “At least, according to the Queen. And it is one that she intends to rectify.”

I hadn’t known that, but I should have assumed I would be more involved in the palace, considering what we had been through. “Is she taking visitors today?”

“Don’t pretend that you are seeking permission to see her.”

“I’m trying not to ruffle any feathers here,” I said.

“And now I’m some preening bird whose feathers you must not ruffle?”

“I’m not sure about that,” I said, “but I certainly don’t want to upset you.”

“Good.” He nodded to Ellie. “While you are visiting with the Queen, I am going to work with my niece. That is, if I have your permission, Mr. Joha.”

“Of course,” I said.

A slight flush worked through Ellie’s cheeks. I didn’t care for that, either.

“Just be careful,” I said. “She’s still working on her ability.”

“And you think there is a grave danger for her ability in the palace?”

“I think it’s very possible that what she can do might disrupt some of the protections in the palace,” I said. “At least, considering what we have experienced here before.”

“Very well. I will exercise caution with her. Now, go on. Do what you think you must do, and I will take her off your hands for the next few hours.”

I said my goodbyes to Ellie and then picked my way through the palace. Walls of white marble surrounded me, and arcane lanterns hung all along the walls, casting a pale glow. I’d seen these lanterns changing color from time to time, sometimes blue, sometimes green, and I didn’t know if the color depended upon the mood of whoever ran the palace—now that it was no longer Hobell—or if it was tied to the whims of the Queen.

My mind focused on Ellie and her service with Dorian. Their partnership troubled me more and more, as I could feel the uncertainty and the potential trouble of it. She was trusting, far too trusting for somebody who had gone through the things that she had, but it was not just her trusting nature. It was the fact that she wanted to trust Dorian.

She didn’t see things as I did. But then again, she didn’t have the life experiences that I did, although her life experiences were enough that she should be suspicious and wary of others.

Making my way up the stairs, I passed a pair of soldiers standing guard about midway up, and I felt a faint wave of fabricated energy coming off them, although nothing that I could tell was dangerous. By the time I reached the top of the stairs, I was feeling a different sort of uneasiness.

I reached the Queen’s private quarters and then knocked. I wasn’t surprised to hear a voice other than the Queen’s that I recognized.

The pair of guards glanced at me, but that didn’t stop me. That was progress. There had been a time when Dorian would have made it clear that I wasn’t permitted here, but now I had been granted the privilege to move freely.

“It’s just Zaren Joha, Jamie,” I said.

It took a few moments, but the door opened, and Jamie, the Queen’s physicker, looked out at me. His hair was neatly brushed and combed, and he was wearing his formal jacket and pants of office, a slim style, deep blue, with heavy embroidery in the style of the Queen’s crest—though he also wore an apron, which gave him the appearance of a man at work. He glanced at the hallway, and then he turned his attention to me.

“How is she?” I asked, figuring that I should start the conversation about the Queen.

“She’s fine,” Jamie said. “You do realize she’s had plenty of time to recover since you left.”

The Queen wasn’t back to her full strength, as far as I knew, but she was certainly improved.

“Is she accepting visitors?” I asked.

He took a deep breath and then nodded. “Of course. I’m not trying to keep you out of here.”

“Of course not,” I said, and then I grinned. “But you are blocking my way.”

He stepped aside with a laugh.

Inside I found yet another pair of guards and a pair of the Queen’s handmaids scurrying about, cleaning and gathering and moving items.

I arched a brow at Jamie, who shrugged. “The Queen is gradually easing back into a public role,” he said, keeping his voice low. “She was away for a while. A long while.” He shook his head. “You know, I didn’t realize just how long she had been struggling. I thought that it was only recent, but I think she has been affected for a much greater time.”

“How long did Hobell serve?”

“That’s just the thing,” Jamie said, his voice still a whisper. “Only a few years.”

“So something happened before that.”

“Maybe. Whatever happened seems to have been resolved. At least mostly. I’ve been working with her to see that she continues to improve.”

“I have no doubt in your abilities,” I said.

“I know you don’t,” he said. “It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just that I’ve started to question what I might’ve overlooked. If I overlooked the Queen’s ill health, what would happen if⁠—”

I rested a hand on his shoulder. “You realize that the Queen wouldn’t have survived nearly as long as she did were it not for you?”

He looked up at me.

“And I can’t imagine some of the conversations that the two of you have had over the last few months, but you should also know that you were responsible for keeping her alive. I can easily imagine that Hobell and his coconspirators were trying to weaken the Queen faster, but you, my friend, kept her alive.”

Jamie took a deep breath and nodded. “I know.”

He waved a hand, motioning for me to make my way over to where the Queen was seated at a desk. It was the first time that I’d seen her seated in quite some time. And seeing her dressed relatively informally was also a little disconcerting. She looked up at me and then set her writing quill beside her inkwell.

“I’m making preparations to meet with the council,” she said, by way of explanation, “as I have been missing my regular meetings with them. As you can imagine, the council sees my lack of attention as a sign of weakness.”

“Do they know just how sick you were?”

“No,” she said. She glanced at the door. “Very few people outside the walls of the palace are aware of the severity of the situation, and that is how I would like to keep it.”

“Of course,” I said.

She nodded. “Very well. I was hopeful that you would see it that way, Mr. Joha.”

“I am here to serve.”

“Oh? And here I thought that you had come to tell me about the most recent shipment.”

“It seems you already know,” I said.

The Queen shrugged. “I’m getting better at knowing things again. That is another thing that I have neglected for far too long.”

She rubbed a knuckle into her eye, and for a moment, I saw the weariness that I had seen when I had first come to the palace, and I wondered if she wasn’t fully recovered, at least not quite as much as she wanted to make it seem. And again, I couldn’t imagine how bad things had gotten for her, especially considering how long she had been ill.

“I am making my arrangements, and I am finding that there have been certain changes made that I am not entirely pleased with.” She wrinkled her brow. “But thankfully, there is time still to make adjustments. I did want to talk to you about a few things.”

“More than just the fabrications arriving in the city?”

The Queen motioned to a chair, and I pulled one over to take a seat. I clasped my hands together. I wasn’t sure what she was going to go into, but I wanted to be ready.

When the Queen asks you to have a seat, you have to be ready for anything.

“We’ve spoken about the issues in Ardem,” she said.

I nodded.

“And we’ve spoken about the role that the Guild has.”

I nodded again.

“I am concerned about what has been happening and about how that may have begun to impact other nations.”

“The Guild?”

“Uncertainty around the Guild is always a problem,” she said. “Especially given their activities.” She shook her head. “Unfortunately, they believe they are far more important than they truly should be.”

I was curious as to what Garridan would say about that. From what he had said, the Guild carried out peacekeeping operations, eliminating threats, or at least threats that the Guild identified. Then again, given the kind of power Garridan possessed, there was likely little that could be done to stop the Guild from taking violent action if they wanted to. They were simply far too powerful.

“And this is about the Guild?” I asked.

“No,” the Queen said. “It is about us making preparations. We have been pulling in more and more fabrications. Thankfully, the supply of fabrications has not been impacted. At least, it has not been impacted to date. From the sound of it, there are other factors at play here.”

“Yes,” I said. I might as well be honest with her, as the protesters were one aspect, but in my mind, there would probably be others.

“And I am increasingly concerned about our ability to defend ourselves under the current circumstances.”

“With the number of fabrications coming into the city, I don’t think that is going to be much of an issue,” I said.

“No,” she said. “This is not simply to do with the fabrications. This has more to do with our ability to defend the fabrications, and to defend against fabrications.”

“Against them?”

She nodded. “Something that my father saw, and something that I took far too long to appreciate. I can’t say that I like where things are leading us, but I also understand that the world that we are in is not the world that I want it to be. Not yet.”

I wondered what she meant by that, and where she was leading me, though I had my suspicions.

“You have served in Busal City quite well, though you have done so as my Blade. I’m asking you to do something more.”

“You have already told me that you are going to ask me to do more. And I will begin working on ensuring that we have a supply of candidates for Blade training,” I said. That was what I suspected she wanted, as having access to more people with antimagic ability, whether they were Blades or just Investigators, would help us quite a bit.

“That is all well and good,” the Queen said. “And that is part of what I would ask of you, but I am looking for something a bit more formal as well.”

She glanced at the door. Jamie was still standing near a table, mixing up ointments, and likely listening, though making every attempt to look as if he was not listening. I would have laughed were the circumstances different.

“You have served me quite well, Mr. Joha. And you have served as my Blade, but now I’m asking you to serve as an adviser. It will be an informal arrangement, at least at first, as I begin to incorporate you into the inner workings of the palace. But over time, I intend to formalize this role.”

I didn’t quite know what to say. “That’s quite the honor,” I said, “but are you sure? I need some time to make sure the city is secure…”

“Of course, this is all dependent upon you having the ability to train replacements. However, from what Dorian has told me, you have been making progress with your own student.”

“I have, but she’s young,” I said.

“Good. We aren’t talking immediately here, Mr. Joha. I’m talking over a period of years. But I do think that someone of your skill and your vision can serve in a very different capacity. That is, if that is something that you would want.”

I nodded, mostly absently, because I wasn’t sure what else I should or could do.

Could I refuse the Queen?

“Very well. We can talk more about this under other circumstances, but I wanted to raise the issue, as you continue to make progress with trainees and in filling your position. For now, I think that you would be well suited to accompanying me to meet with the councilors. I believe you have some experience with them, after all.”

I nodded.

What else could I do?

I did have some experience with the councilors, but I was reluctant to go with her for the meeting, because it would put me into a very different focus and even make me a target. And since I had returned from Ardem, it seemed everything was changing.

But at this time, I doubted I could object.

Chapter Three

Jamie caught up to me as I was leaving the palace. He clapped me on the shoulder, and then he started to laugh.

“You aren’t taking your hidden passages?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

He glanced around, eyes flicking to a pair of soldiers nearby. I didn’t need to worry about the soldiers hearing about the hidden passageways, as most of the Empyreans knew that the passages existed. And as far as I knew, they were still patrolling them.

“Oh, no,” he said. “I wanted to ask you how you got yourself caught up in all of this. It’s really quite impressive, Zaren.”

“I have no idea,” I muttered, shaking my head. “She wants me to be some sort of adviser.”

“You know, you can tell her no. I’ve done it many times.”

I frowned. “Have you?”

“Well, mostly when she wants me to try something that I’m not comfortable with, but she takes it reasonably well. At least, she takes it reasonably well from me. I don’t know how she’ll take it from you.” He laughed, guiding me toward the palace entrance. Once we were outside, bright sunlight beamed down, casting a gentle warmth upon us. “Are you going to do it?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“I knew she had something in mind for you. I was going to try to warn you, but I wasn’t sure what I would be warning you about. I thought that it was really about training more like you. She’s been talking about that. But it seems like…”

“Yeah,” I said. “It seems like that.”

“Anyway, if you do take on an advisory role, maybe she will have you around the palace more. That’s not all bad.”

“Not all bad, but…”

How could I explain to Jamie that I had enjoyed my freedom?

It was something that surprised me. The time that I had been spending wandering the streets, investigating threats, and taking on jobs that I wanted to take on had been quite satisfying, and I wasn’t interested in that changing.

“She said I had some time,” I said.

“You do,” Jamie said. “At least, I imagine you do. It’s going to take some time for you to build up a training program. If you really don’t want to do this, just take a long time rebuilding the ranks of the Blades.”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure I can take much time. We need protection. I don’t know how quickly I can train people up.” I thought about how long it had taken me to become competent, and that had been with Waleith working with me. Even now, there were aspects of my job in which I was probably not nearly as capable as some of the previous Blades had been. “With this many fabrications coming into the city, we need to ensure that we are taking the right precautions.”

“So keep taking precautions. I’m not telling you not to do that. I’m just saying⁠—”

“You’re just saying that you think it’s amusing that I might get called in to serve as an adviser to the Queen.”

Jamie grinned, veering away toward his office. “I think it’s all too amusing. Anyway, we can talk later. It seems like we’ll have plenty of opportunity now.”

Jamie seemed far too amused by everything. And honestly, it wasn’t a terrible situation for me. It was just something that I had not anticipated, and so I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet.

Having stepped out into the street, I paused to study the area, as I often did. I used the moment to try to pick up on any magical sense around me. I didn’t feel anything obvious, other than the underlying and constant sense of fabrications. Beyond that, however, there was nothing.

That was a good thing, at least most of the time. Some of the time, however, other magics would appear in Busal City. I had not seen many recently, but then I had not been back in the city all that long and had not had an opportunity to test for such things, something that I needed to change.

Just because the Investigators had been here while I was gone didn’t mean that they had been able to ensure that everything was safe. They had a limit to their capabilities, at least compared to me and other Blades.

The unusual quiet around me was somewhat disconcerting, though. Maybe it was just that I was accustomed to being constantly on edge and worried about what to do.

I made my way to my home, a small cottage that was only a short walk from the palace, and I paused as I approached. The home itself was fairly nondescript. It was all a pale gray stone, with some ivy growing along the side. A row of neatly trimmed hedges lined the front of the building, though I had never figured out who was responsible for maintaining them. I certainly was not. None of that drew my eye.

Instead, it was the letter attached to the door.

I approached it, moving carefully, and saw the wax seal keeping it closed, recognizing the twin musical notes crossed over it.

A letter from the Guild.

I took it carefully and glanced around to see if there was any evidence of a member of the Guild nearby, but I found nothing, so I stepped into my home. I was half expecting to come across Garridan or Benjamin or somebody else, but there was nobody.

The contents of the letter surprised me.

Not only did they want to meet in the coming days, but it was about Waleith.

I remained frozen in place. I had not been certain of what they might extract from Waleith, and I had been gone long enough that I had started to question whether they would uncover anything at all. Waleith had not provided me with any answers, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t provide somebody from the Guild with answers, especially considering what I knew about the Guild—and what Waleith knew about the Guild. He would fear them in a way that he would not fear me. And because of that, I believed that he might reveal to them things that he would not reveal to me.

At least, that had been my intention in sending Waleith away with the Guild. Then again, he may have simply refused to cooperate out of spite. That would not be unusual for Waleith, and I could easily imagine Waleith deciding that would be the best way to get his revenge.

When a knock came at my door, I looked up.

Are they here already?

Lijanna stood on the other side of the door, arms crossed and a stern, almost irritated expression looming in her eyes. “How long have you been back?”

“It’s good to see you as well.”

“Don’t give me that,” she said, slapping me on the chest and stepping into my home. She pushed past me as she swept her gaze around as if deciding just how long I had been back. “We got reports that you and the Prince have returned, but you haven’t come and seen us yet.”

I snorted but immediately stopped when I realized she was irritated. This was not the playful banter I had expected.

“You’re really upset?”

“Sacred Souls, yes.” Lijanna turned, glancing at the letter, which I was still holding, and then flicked her gaze up to me, watching me with curiosity. “Not because we want you to have some sort of issue that we have to deal with.” She clenched her jaw, as if she was trying to work out what she wanted to say next. “It’s because I thought…”

“We’re friends,” I said.

“Doesn’t feel like it,” she muttered. “You know, Harent is a little upset as well, not that he would say anything to you about it, because that’s not the kind of thing he does, but he’s upset, nonetheless. He feels like you could have—and should have—told him when you returned.”

“I’ve been a little preoccupied.”

“And you don’t think that we have been?”

“I know that you are always preoccupied. That’s the nature of what you do.”

She took a breath. “Well?”

I frowned at that. “Well what?”

“Are you going to tell me what you found?”

“How about we get a drink first?”

“Fine.”

I stuffed the letter into my pocket, and Lijanna took me to a tavern located in the city center, unlike some of the taverns that I had favored in the time that I’d been in Busal City. Most of the time, I found myself in taverns along the shoreline, but out here, more centrally located, the tavern was obviously better maintained, from the neatly painted sign to the well-polished tables and chairs, even to the smells. And that was to say nothing about the clientele, people who looked as if they wouldn’t be caught dead along the harbor.

“Not exactly the kind of place I would’ve chosen for myself,” I said, taking a seat.

Lijanna waved for one of the servers to come over, a younger man, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, revealing far too much chest. Lijanna’s gaze lingered on it and slowly worked its way up to his cheeks. “Two mugs of ale, and a plate of bread and cheese.”

The young man nodded before scurrying off.

“It has its virtues,” she said.

I snorted. “You come here often?”

“Harent won’t come in here, so I figured⁠—”

I started laughing, which forced her to break off. “So because Harent won’t come in here, you decided to see if I would?”

“It’s not a matter of seeing if you would. I just wanted to come here. Now, do you want to tell me about your little adventure, or am I going to have to drag it out of you? Some of us have actually been worried about you, Zaren, though I’m sure that you aren’t concerned about us. If you were, you would have come to see us as soon as you returned to the city.”

I hadn’t even considered visiting with the constables yet. And that was something of an issue. I wasn’t accustomed to somebody else wanting me around, concerned about what I was dealing with. I wasn’t accustomed to anybody worrying about me.

“Why don’t we wait for the ale first?” I said.

It wasn’t long before the server brought over the drinks and food, setting them on the table. Lijanna looked at me expectantly, and I shook my head before fishing around in my purse and pulling out some coins, which I counted out to the young man. It was also more expensive here.

When I was done, Lijanna just shrugged. “Figure you make a little more than I do.”

“Oh, do you?”

“Do you pay for that house?”

“No.”

“And do you pay for anything?”

“Obviously, I’m paying for your food,” I said.

“Obviously,” she said. “Anyway, want to fill me in?”

I started slowly, but as I drank, I fell into the pattern of the story, and Lijanna was a good listener. I had grown closer to Lijanna in the time that I’d been in Busal City. There was nothing romantic between the two of us. In fact, I had a feeling that I wasn’t her type. But she had helped train me to fight hand to hand, something I still felt to be valuable, and she had been a friend.

I had lived my entire life outside Busal City and had thought that I knew what I was doing, and I had thought that I had made some connections, but it wasn’t until I had come to the city, realizing that I had the potential to be a Blade, that I had found people who cared about me.

When I was done, Lijanna just breathed out. “So you are part of all this new activity in the city.”

“Which is why I have not been quick to come to the constables,” I said.

“No. Instead, you had somebody else come to the constables to request some assistance. One of your Investigators, I believe.”

I hadn’t known who had gone. “Which one was it?”

“A pretty young boy. Tall, shaggy hair. Full lips.”

“That doesn’t help,” I said.

She set her drink down. “Wait. How many boys like that do you have serving as Investigators?”

“You’d be surprised.”

She barked out a laugh.

“Anyway, I am sorry. I should have come to see you and Harent and given a report. That is on me. I made a mistake.”

“At least you acknowledge it,” Lijanna said.

She was quiet for a moment.

“Are we going to have any trouble with the changing dynamics in the city?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Don’t know. I want to think not, but we are talking about a lot of fabrications making their way into the city, so it is quite possible that we will have more trouble.”

“So what does that mean?”

“At this point, it just means that we have to be vigilant.”

“So it means nothing different.”

“Pretty much.”

We sat quietly. After a while, after Lijanna had finished her ale, she set the mug down and leaned forward, locking eyes with me. “You want to tell me about the letter that you were hiding when I came by?”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before pulling the letter out of my pocket and setting it on the table. “Not hiding anything.”

Lijanna took it, her gaze skimming over it.

“I didn’t realize that was what you had done with him,” she said.

“I thought Harent told you.”

“No. Did he know?”

“I think so. We had too much going on at the time, so I couldn’t keep dealing with him, dealing with the attack on the palace, and with the other concerns, so I gave him over to the Guild.”

“I don’t really know anything about the Guild. Not like you and Asi do.”

“How is she?”

“Oh, as stubborn as usual,” Lijanna said before seeming to catch herself. “She’s fine.”

I suppressed a smile. “Well, I need to see her as well.”

“How long have you been back in the city?”

“Only a few days,” I said.

“And in those few days, you haven’t gone to see her? Oh, I really want to be there when you do. I can just imagine her reaction.”

“Great,” I muttered.

Lijanna snorted. “This might be fun.”

Chapter Four

Ihad started across the harbor bridge to find Asi when I felt a steady undercurrent of energy. One of the things that I had come to learn about my native ability was that there were aspects to what I could detect that were easily identifiable. Most of it came from how my ability interacted with magic. With fabrications, that sense was relatively straightforward. I felt a sense of pressure from most of the powerful items around me, and even if I didn’t have to deal with many of them, I could still feel the power within them. But it wasn’t just fabrications which posed a danger to me. It was other powers as well.

I had been around other types of magic, but those had been infrequent enough that I couldn’t always tell when I was exposed to them. For the most part, fabrications were the kind of power that I had to deal with, something that Waleith had not really made clear when I had begun training with him. I had believed that I would encounter other types of power, but over the time that I’d been in Busal City, I had mostly dealt with fabricated power.

This didn’t strike me as a fabrication.

It didn’t strike me as anything that I had detected before. I was awash with a strange fluctuating sense. It was as if waves of it flowed through me. It wasn’t painful, but sometimes the most dangerous magic was not painful. That was rare with fabrications, but it was less rare with other forms. And given my innate resistance to magic, I was tempted to try to disrupt it, but I didn’t know what that might do.

What I needed instead was to track down the source of the power.

Because if there was an unusual power in the city, as a Blade, I needed to identify the source of it, and I needed to better understand why it was present now.

I moved to the center of the bridge. Once there, I just closed my eyes and focused.

There did seem to be a concentrated source for the power, but it was not where I had thought I would feel it. It was on the other side of the bridge, on Asi’s side.

I hurried across the bridge, and when I got to the far side, the fluctuating sense was still there, lingering within me. A pair of Investigators I didn’t know all that well were waiting on the far side. One of them, a tall, slender woman with short hair and a sharp nose, turned to me, tipping her head slightly.

“Blade,” she said. “Heard you had returned to the city.”

“You heard that, did you?”

“Word spreads.”

Word spreading about me and my return to the city was something else I needed to be cautious about. “I don’t suppose you could guide me to Asi, could you?”

“I could, but…”

“If you think she’s going to be upset, I can just find her on my own.” I doubted that Asi would care much either way.

The other Investigator was a shorter man who had a stocky build and clutched a slender length of metal in one hand. I suspected it was a fabrication, though it was not one that I recognized. He looked over at his partner. “Come on, Lena. Just tell him what you were supposed to tell him.”

“Supposed to tell me?” I asked.

“She knew you were coming. And she wanted you to join her. She’s off to the east. But then, you were heading that way anyway, weren’t you?”

I shrugged. I could feel the presence, the power, and I could feel it pulling on me, as if it were going to drag me off.

The waves of energy continued to wash over me, and I followed what I could feel, testing for anything to be concerned about. Yet as I moved, I didn’t feel anything else—nothing that was worrisome, nothing that suggested any threat.

As I headed through the streets, I picked up on a few contours of power that were similar, but also more dangerous. I attempted to make sense of what I was picking up on, but it felt like various contours were pushing against me, a sensation that was unpleasant and disconcerting.

I didn’t know this section of the city nearly as well as mine, and if it weren’t for the fact that I was being drawn by the rippling waves of power, I wouldn’t have found my way east. A maze of streets and alleys and run-down buildings all threatened to block my way. And even following what I could feel, I still had to turn back at one point, backtracking until I found an opening. Only then did I step out, reaching the outskirts of the city, where I paused.

From here, the landscape rolled into a jagged hillside, leading farther east, to a towering cliff that hung over the water. The city itself was set into a depression and fit inside the natural harbor, spanning both sides of the water, though the western side of it was much nicer, and the home of the Queen’s palace. The eastern side of the harbor was older, more dilapidated, but there was something to the sense of age that it carried that also gave it a different feel, though it might just be that it was old.

“Took you long enough,” Asi said, striding over to me. She was quite a bit shorter than me and had a pair of blades strapped to her waist. She wore a long cloak that hung close to the ground, as if she had grabbed a size too large. “I’m sure you’re being given a hard time by others for not coming to see them.”

“Maybe from one or two people,” I said.

“Not from me,” she said.

I nodded. “That’s appreciated.”

“You’re a Blade. You do what you need to do, and I’m not going to tell you what that needs to be. I imagine that it is, however, tied to what’s been moving in and out of the city.”

“A bit,” I said. “I didn’t do it intentionally. Well, not entirely intentionally. The negotiations involved quite a bit of conversation about what kinds of fabrications the Ardemians were going to send to Busal City.”

“It still seems odd,” she said, shaking her head.

“To you and me both,” I said.

“And it doesn’t bother you?”

“With fabrications, at least I understand the kind of power behind them. And there have been no fabrications I have not been able to overpower.”

Asi nodded. “Good. Figured as much.”

I smiled. “Did you?”

“Well, fabrications are a fixed kind of magic, aren’t they? They require a level of engineering, and once that engineering is complete, then power can be stored within them. It’s finite. And if you have enough of our ability, and you can concentrate enough, then you can overpower it. At least, that’s always the way that I’ve viewed it. And that was what I was taught when I was trained.”

Times like these were when I was acutely aware of just how different our experiences had been when we had been trained. Asi had learned how to understand magic at the training compound and had learned how to counter most of that power. It was far different from my own experience.

“Anything else you want to share?” I asked.

“I’m sharing it,” Asi said.

“What’s out here, then?”

“Do you feel it?”

“Don’t know how I couldn’t,” I said.

“What does it feel like to you?”

That was another thing that was interesting about Blades. Each had a different sense of magic. There were some commonalities, but overall, what one Blade felt was different from what another Blade felt, and the way that one Blade was able to access power was different from the way that other Blades connected to power.

“It feels like waves,” I said.

“I feel it like a sound,” Asi said. She glanced over. “And I know how that sounds. How can you feel a sound? But it’s deep, and it pulses with regularity. I’m trying to figure out what it is.”

“When did it start?”

“It’s been present for several weeks,” she said. “But it’s been changing. Getting worse, I suppose.”

“I didn’t even notice it when I first came back to the city.”

“Because there isn’t a real regularity to its presence. If you’ve been focused on other things, you might not have noticed it.”

I had been distracted. I’d been so focused on the fabrications Ardem had sent, and on dealing with the protesters, that I had not attempted to focus on much else in the city. Then again, I didn’t have to concentrate on everything within the city all the time. There were other people who were perfectly capable of doing that now, people I had placed among the ranks of the Investigators, because I had wanted to ensure that I didn’t have to do things on my own.

“The Investigators haven’t told me about it,” I said.

“Oh, I’m not terribly surprised,” she said. “I haven’t really filled them in on what I’ve been picking up on. I’m not sure what it is, although it is certainly something.”

I stood there, looking into the distance. “Not in the city.”

“It’s not. I have spent quite a bit of time wandering the city. Figured that I could try to identify the source of it. But I haven’t been able to find it. It’s strange, that.” Asi leaned forward and let out a sigh. “I still feel like there should be something else here, but whatever it is seems to be evasive.”

“It was drawing me here.”

“This time,” she said.

“Wait. This has been moving?”

“It has.”

I frowned at that, focusing on the fluctuating sensation. There was a distinct sense of energy within it, but I was not certain what it meant. I could feel it, though. The waves of power were working around me, trying to sweep over me, and the power tended to cascade, building and flowing in waves, and yet there was some other element to it that I couldn’t quite identify.

Was it moving?

“We could chase it,” I said. “I can feel a particular sense to it, but what is it?”

“I’ve looked but haven’t been able to find. And I have tested more times than I care to admit.”

“So why this time?” I asked.

“To see if this would be different.” Asi took a deep breath, and she closed her eyes the same way that I had when I had crossed the bridge, testing for whether I could feel anything within the power. She rocked slightly from side to side. “I can feel it, Zaren. I can feel the source of it, but I can’t find the source of it.”

I joined her, closing my eyes. But even as I focused, I couldn’t pick up on any aspect of it that would help me identify the source of the power. It was evasive, and that made it difficult for me to pick up on much more.

“We could have the Investigators⁠—”

“Already done it,” Asi said. She glanced over and shrugged. “They’ve even placed fabrications around the perimeter of the city. The entire city. And yet those fabrications haven’t picked up on anything.”

“Interesting,” I said.

“Is it?”

“Well, it’s a little interesting,” I said. “But I guess you’re going to tell me that it’s not.”

“Oh, I’m not saying that it’s not interesting. I am saying that it is unnerving. Something is happening around the city, and it’s obviously got a source that we as Blades need to deal with, but I can’t tell what it is.” She snorted. “Despite everything that I’ve been through, and all the training that I’ve had, I still can’t tell what this is.”

“And you’re hoping that I might be able to pick up on something.”

“I have to admit that when I heard that you were back, I felt a bit of relief. We each have our own gift, and I was hopeful that your gift would give you a chance to pick up on what this is, and maybe even find the source of it. I keep thinking that maybe this is just a game for somebody. A prank, even. But given that I can’t find anything, I am left with… well, I’m left with questions, and no answers. And I don’t like that.”

“We can work together.”

“That’s fine,” she said, though she sounded almost disappointed.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” she muttered.

“It’s not nothing.”

Asi turned to me, crossing her arms. “You know, I used to think that I was a good Blade. And maybe I still am, but when strange things happen, I keep finding that I’m not able to handle them on my own. And here this one happened, and the first thing that I thought about was how long you were going to be out of the city, because I didn’t want to have to deal with it on my own.” She shook her head. “What does that say about me? Am I not the Blade I thought I was?”

I was quiet for a moment. I knew that she had some issues, but most of them were tied to her feelings about the Crown. Maybe I should have been more astute and more sensitive to what she was dealing with, because I could understand the difficulty that she had. She was struggling, but she was struggling because this activity was all so unusual.

“And you think that I’ve been handling everything on my own?” I pulled the letter out of my pocket, handed it over to her.

Asi read it quickly before passing it back to me.

“I keep having to get the Guild involved. What does that say about me?”

She was quiet for a moment, then laughed. It surprised me.

“I suppose we aren’t all that different, are we?” she said. “You are fumbling around because you’re new to your position, and using everybody that you can, and I’ve been in my position for a while but feel like I shouldn’t have to use everybody.”

“Pretty much,” I said.

“So,” she said. “Where does that leave us?”

“I think it leaves us with working together. So why don’t we see if there’s anything that I can pick up on that you might not have? And we can go from there.”

“Sounds good.”

“And while we’re at it, I can tell you what I might need your help with.”

“What? I thought this was more about me needing your help, not you pulling me in again.”

I laughed. “Oh, I think this is something that we are going to need all the Investigators involved in as well.”

“What now?”

“Only the safety of Busal City.”

“Is it ever anything different?”

“Not when it involves us.”

Chapter Five

We spent several hours surveying the outskirts of the city. I followed Asi’s lead, and as we worked our way around, and I attempted to pick up on the power, I, like her, wasn’t able to detect anything more. It continued to prove evasive.

I wasn’t quite sure what that meant. I didn’t know if it was going to be a problem, but right now, the only thought I had was that the power persisted, and I could not identify the source of it.

And when it finally stopped, it did so slowly, gradually easing until it fell off into nothingness.

Asi nodded to me. “That’s what it does,” she said. “It just dies out.”

“So what do you do then?”

She shrugged. “Not a whole lot. When it dies out, there is nothing to be done. I just try to follow it, but…” She shrugged again. “You see my issue?”

“I’m starting to,” I said.

“It doesn’t make any sense.”

As much as I wanted to deny that, she was right. This had been a distinct energy, but I still couldn’t quite identify its source, and therefore who was responsible for it.

“So what now?”

“Nothing,” Asi said. “Like I said, it’ll move. The next time it comes back, it will be in a different location, and we won’t find it easily.”

She seemed almost amused by this, and it took me a moment to realize why. It wasn’t amusement at all. It was relief. Asi wasn’t saying it, but she must have feared that I would suddenly show up and pick up on something that she had not been able to.

“Well,” I said, “at least neither of us can find it.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it,” she said.

I chuckled. “Isn’t that the way that you were looking at it?”

“Come on, Zaren. You can’t… Fine. That is the way that I was looking at it.”

“We can see if a fabrication might pick up on it. I can see what Matherin might be able to fabricate for us.”

“Nothing,” she said.

“Oh?”

“I went to him. Figured that if nothing else, I needed to take advantage of my resources. That’s one thing that you’ve made clear to me, Zaren. It’s not something that I would’ve done normally, but because of you, I now see who else I can ask for help.”

“I was always taught that it’s a sign of maturity to ask others for help when you need it.”

“Right,” Asi muttered. “Maybe that’s true, but I was taught it was a sign of weakness.”

“Not weakness,” I said. “At least, not with this.”

“Doesn’t make me feel much better,” she said.

We went our separate ways, and then I wandered through the city for a while, testing whether I could uncover anything more. There was nothing. Not that I had really anticipated finding anything, but my pride left me thinking that perhaps I could uncover something that Asi had overlooked. That was more hubris than I probably should have, especially considering that I had been a Blade for a much shorter time than her. Still, I tested, but there was no sense of power, no sense of anything to suggest that something was there to be discovered.

After a while, I debated what to do and where to go. It wasn’t until I started to hear shouting that I knew where I needed to go, and I had a pretty good idea about why I was going.

There was a protest. Again.

How many times were we going to have to deal with these protesters? This time, the crowd had gathered near a market, and the scene was chaotic. An intense anger lingered in the air.

Could there be power?

I focused my Blade ability to see if it would reveal what was happening here, but I did not find anything. Maybe it was just imagination, and nothing was happening here other than the protests themselves.

“Hey there, Blade,” Byron said, sliding up next to me.

He was a younger Investigator and had a pretty good head on him. He also had an eagerness to do more than most of the Investigators.

“Anything here I need to be aware of?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Not particularly. This is just the usual.”

“The usual?”

He shrugged. “Lately. Even before you got back, we were seeing a bit of this.”

“How often?”

“Not terribly often, but somebody must have heard that the Crown was negotiating with Ardem, and they decided to make a stink. Can’t do much about that, I suppose. We’ve tried. It doesn’t make a difference, nor does it help us with anything.”

“Do I need to get involved?”

“Only if you want to. They generally just shout and chant and cause minor problems, but it dies down. Well, it dies down eventually. We just have to give it time.”

“I see.” I didn’t really, and it wasn’t the kind of thing that I wanted to have to deal with, but I was unlikely to make much difference, anyway. “Anything in particular that you have noticed about it?”

“Me? No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not much to see, in my mind. Just some irritated people. It’s not terribly surprising, though, with what we’ve got coming into the city.”

He wasn’t wrong. The protesters’ anger was understandable. They were upset because they felt like things were happening in ways that they didn’t care for. The city, and the Crown, had avoided the use of magic for so long that it was odd and perhaps frightening for it to be used now.

“Say, Byron, have the Investigators detected any use of magic around the city?”

He frowned at me. “What kind of magic?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Just anything at all?”

“Not so much. The Blade on the other side of the harbor had us placing some fabrications around the city. She was curious about something. This have anything to do with that?”

“It might,” I said.

“Can’t say that we picked up on anything. We thought that we could help, but we weren’t able to find anything for her. She seemed disappointed.”

“I think she was a little disappointed, but not because of you. I think she was disappointed by the arrival of these fabrications, and…”

And perhaps she was disappointed in me, and the fact that I had been involved in the negotiations.

“Keep an eye on those fabrications for me, would you?”

“That’s why I’m out here,” Byron said. “Just watching. Not getting involved. At least, I’m going to try to stay out of it. But Jos said that if anything changes, we’re supposed to let him know.”

“That’s good advice. You let him know if you see anything.”

I clapped Byron on the shoulder and then set off to check around the market. For the most part, the constables kept the protesters at bay. I nodded to a couple of constables that I knew, but I didn’t see anybody that I knew well. As I weaved through the market, watching the protesters, I noticed a familiar figure standing near one of the stalls, seemingly looking at some fabrics, but not really paying much attention to the fabrics. I hurried over to Dara and paused near her.

She glanced at me briefly before nodding to the protesters. “Do you have anything to do with this?”

“I’m trying not to,” I said.

“People are angry.”

“So it seems,” I said.

“It’s good to see you back, Zaren. I wasn’t sure how long you would be gone.”

“I haven’t been back very long.”

She barely suppressed the hurt in her eyes. “Not very long” meant that I hadn’t gone to see her immediately. Another regret. I should have immediately, but… I had to stop living with those thoughts, had to stop focusing on the things that I should have done and focus on what I had done.

“It’s only been a day or so,” I said. “And I’ve had some meetings with the Queen, and I’ve been dealing with this, and⁠—”

“You don’t have to justify yourself,” Dara said.

Even though she made that claim, I felt I did. “How are you?”

She was quiet for a few moments as she continued to stare at the protesters. “No different than before.”

We wandered for a little while through the market, and I kept a watchful eye on the protesters, but I didn’t see anything that would make me think they would do something dangerous here. I just had an underlying sense of unease, one that made me more reserved than I normally was with Dara. Then again, with Dara, I had often been somewhat reserved.

She had even called me out on it a few times, but over time, we had grown to have a better connection, and understanding. At least, I thought we had.

She patted my hand. “It seems you’re not quite sure what you want.”

I looked over. “What gives you that impression?”

“It’s your demeanor, Zaren.” She paused at a market stand, looking at several ceramic figurines. These were different from the ones that we had bought what seemed like an eternity ago. Those were shaped, or at least they were now shaped, like the two of us.

“I remember when you used to pay more attention to me.”

“I’ll still pay attention to you,” I said.

Dara smiled slightly, and then she shook her head. “I don’t know whether I’m ever going to be the primary woman in your world.” She moved on, disappearing into the crowd for a moment, until I hurried to catch up to her.

“I don’t have anybody else,” I said.

“Don’t you?”

As I hurried to keep up with her, I realized what she was getting at. “It’s a job.”

“Is it only that?”

I started to wonder if that was all it was, especially if I were to take on the role that the Queen wanted me to take on. As an adviser, I would be bound to her even more than I already was.

And I had to admit that might mean that I would spend more time in the palace.

Was that what I wanted?

At this point, I no longer knew what I wanted. I didn’t even know what responsibility I was going to have in any part of what took place in the palace—or the rest of the realm.

“Can we just have a nice time?” I asked.

“We can,” Dara said. “And if it’s easier for you to keep it the way that it is, to avoid any further entanglements, we can certainly do that as well. I, however, am not sure if that’s all I want.”

She moved on, and at one point, I heard a shout and saw a commotion among the protesters, which drew my attention, but I knew that if I allowed it to hold me away, it would irritate Dara even more.

I immediately turned my attention back, slipped through the crowd, and caught up to her, taking her hand. “I’m here. I’m going to stay here.”

She looked up. “I don’t want to change you, Zaren. I just want you to be yourself, but I want you to be in the moment. I know how difficult that can be. I struggled with it enough myself.”

I didn’t know all that Dara had been through, but I suspected that whatever it was had changed her.

I knew about her brother. But it occurred to me that there were a lot of things about Dara’s background that I didn’t know—things that I started to think I needed to know.

“Let’s get some food and talk,” I said.

“That would be nice. Maybe then I’ll have your full attention, and you won’t be looking around you at all times, as if you are searching for the next possible attack.” She laughed as she spoke, but I knew that she wasn’t really laughing. She truly wanted me to sit and avoid distraction and stay focused on her.

Wasn’t that what I wanted as well?

As she guided me through the streets, away from the protesters, I began to pick up on a steady rhythmic energy.

It was different from what I had felt with Asi, but it was similar enough that I realized that it was probably from the same source. I focused on it, but right now, there was nothing to it that I could identify. There had to be some directional element within it, but unfortunately, that element was not guiding me in one direction or another. It was just there.

I tried to resist the urge to look around, to focus on that power, but it was difficult for me to stay focused on anything other than the current of energy. Still, as Dara touched my hand, I felt a different drawing. One of desire of my own.

I wondered if I would ever find the right kind of balance here. Maybe there would be no balance for me. Maybe there could be no balance for me.

Yet that didn’t mean I couldn’t try.

Chapter Six

“Idon’t detect anything here, Blade,” Jos said, following through the streets.

It was just the two of us, though the streets themselves were generally active, and there was a lingering bit of unease that seemed to hang over the entirety of the city as if the people of the city were on edge. It was something that I understood because I felt much of that same edge and unease, considering what was going on here.

“I just detected something, and I’m not sure what it is, but I wanted to see if the Investigators and your fabrication might help.”

He squeezed the small, cylindrical rod that he carried with him. It was a fabrication Matherin had made long ago, which allowed the Investigators to pick up on the activity and movement of power throughout the city. It was because of these fabrications that the Investigators were able to do what they were able to do in the first place.

“Not sure that I can feel anything, but I’m willing to go along with this, as long as you understand that I might not be able to help you as much as you might want.”

I nodded because I was fully aware of that and recognized that there might not be anything that he could do or that we would be able to find.

“I’ve been digging up on something uneasy,” I said. “I’m not sure what it is, but when I feel that tension, I trust my instinct.”

At this point, I had no choice but to trust my instinct because there seemed to be some active aspect that I couldn’t quite shake. Until I had a better idea about what it was and about what triggered this, I wanted to try to follow it to make sure that whatever might be here would be dealt with.

It was different than the Ardem fabrications.

That left me with a tingling that washed over my skin. I had been around those fabrications often enough now that there was a distinct connection and an energy to how those fabrications felt that I could identify. This was a heaviness that I felt when I breathed, reminding me of a hot and humid day and making it feel like I was laboring against something. When I first started to detect it, I did not know if there was anything real there, but the longer I felt it, the more I realized that it had to be something magical.

But what, and what caused it?

“The device isn’t making any sound,” he said.

“It makes sound to you?”

Jos offered a hint of a shrug. “It does. At least for me. I know others tend to pick up on something different, and everybody has their little way of detecting things. That’s one of the first lessons that we teach when we get recruits in, you know.”

We paused near a wealthier section of the city. The shops here were a bit fancier than in another section, and across the street from me was an apothecary with the door thrust open. The smell of various medicines, herbs, and oils drifted out. The apothecary stood in the doorway, watching the street, and seemed to be looking for somebody to call inside.

But not me.

As soon as the apothecary saw me, they turned, closed the door, and stood behind it.

I snorted at that. Either they didn’t want me visiting their shop, or they just didn’t like the idea of anybody with the crown visiting. Probably the latter. In a city like this, I suspected that the people were accustomed to doing things differently than in other parts of the city. Probably were accustomed to working with fabrications that were considered forbidden, or at least had been. That was changing, but it was a slow sort of change. And with the protests along the shoreline, I didn’t know if such a thing would change rapidly.

“I haven’t talked to you about what you do to detect recruits.”

“Detect?” He shook his head. “We don’t detect much of anything. We get some who have an interest, and we train them. At least, that’s always how it’s been before.” He shrugged. “Some people have a knack for the job, though. Some people learn how to use the fabrication, and others have not.”

I smiled at that. “You realize what you’re saying, don’t you?”

He frowned at me. “And what am I saying?”

“You are saying that there is something to a fabrication.”

“I’m not saying anything of the sort,” he said.

“Well, maybe not so much, but you are implying that some people have a certain predilection for the job, right?” I glanced down at the rod he was holding onto and then shrugged. “And you haven’t considered the possibility that some people are predisposed to success because of innate talent?”

He pursed his lips, frowning deeply. “Not sure that I like that idea.”

“Just because it means that you have some talent.”

He was quiet for a few moments, and after a bit, he looked up, sweeping his gaze along the street. “When I was young, before I came to the city, I saw how power could be used. We had a merchant come through. He was fine, but the man guarding him was not. He had some sort of a device, a fabrication I’ve come to know, and would zap anybody that got too close. Most people didn’t like it. But there was this one person, an older man who tried to stop him from picking on the youngsters, who he slapped on the chest, and the man collapsed.”

From how he said it, I had a suspicion that there was more to the story than what he was letting on.

“He died?”

Jos glanced at me for a moment before nodding slowly. “Died. Right then and there. All because of some fabrication.”

“Who was he?”

“A friend’s grandfather. He was a good man. He just wanted to keep the merchant and his guard from picking on us. And because of that, he took a blast in the chest.”

I wasn’t quite sure what kind of fabrication that would’ve been, but having seen the different fabrications I had, I could easily imagine what they might have been and how they might’ve worked.

“I’m sorry about that. Is that why you decided to get into this line of work?”

“It wasn’t intentional. It’s not like I sought out this opportunity. But when I ended up in the city,” he continued, leaving out how he had ended up in the city, which I found intriguing because it seemed to me that there was quite a bit about Jos that I didn’t know and more that I should know, “I got an opportunity to run a trial with the Investigators. I had a knack for it.”

“The talent,” I said.

He nodded slowly. “So if what you’re saying is true, then I have the same type of power that you do.”

He looked at me defiantly.

“And what do you think about my kind of power?”

He was quiet for a few moments before answering. “I don’t know. I’ve never cared much for Blades if I’m being honest.” I chuckled, and he glowered at me. “You wanted me to tell you how I was feeling, and I’m telling you, Blade.”

“I’m only laughing because I knew that about you. I knew that the moment that I met you. You don’t necessarily care for people like me. Or like Waleith.”

“I didn’t. Not until I got to know you. You are different, I suppose. Different enough from him in that you seemed interested in trying to make sure that we remove some of the problems in the city.”

“Until now,” I said.

“I’m not arguing with you. I know what the Queen’s after, and I understand some of the reasons behind it, especially with some things happening in the city since… I would say that since Waleith was deposed, it doesn’t make it easy. Not for me, not for others who feel like me.”

I could understand. I recognized the reason he had that difficulty and knew that there were plenty of people in the city who felt much the same way.

“Times change,” I said. “And sometimes we have to learn that things we thought were bad might not be bad. I went through the same thing.”

“But you have this ability.”

I shrugged. “I do, but put yourself in my shoes. I served in the army. Many of my assignments with the army involved dealing with dangerous uses of magic that spread throughout the realm. It was even the reason I got discharged from the army. Then I met Waleith, and he told me that I had this talent that I could use to serve the Queen. Only the talent itself is what I was trained to try to fight when I was in the army.” I looked over. “So I understand what you’re thinking, and I understand your challenge with it. But I also know that you can choose how you use it.”

He looked down at the rod. “If it does have something to do with some deep part of me, then I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

“You don’t have to think deeply about it. Honestly, I’m not asking for you to come to some philosophical decision or to know much of anything. I just wanted you to know that it doesn’t change who you are.”

“Good.”

“And it doesn’t change how we will find more Investigators. Some will have the necessary talent, but not all. For those that do, we will need to make sure that we allow them to prove themselves, but we also have to try to ensure that they are given a different choice if they don’t have the necessary talent.”

“Such as?”

“I’m not sure. Not yet. But I think that is something we will have to work on together.”

He started to nod when he stiffened. His hand went tight around the fabrication, and he held it up, pulling it to his ear, before tilting his head slightly as he listened.

“It’s starting to vibrate, creating a bit of a song.”

The comment actually caught me off guard, as I hadn’t considered that before, but there were others who used similar descriptions.

“A song?”

“Not everybody hears in the same way. Some people just feel it. If you ask Byron, it’s like tingling in his palm, and if you ask Liash, he says it makes it feel like his arms are burning. Barrett says that he gets a little bit of a headache, a sort of throbbing in the back of his eye when it starts to work. Everybody has their sort of way about it.”

I don’t know why that surprised me, as it shouldn’t, but I hadn’t thought about how the Investigators could detect magic and power used around them. I should have known better, though. I suppose that knowing that they used fabrications to detect it, I had assumed that all of them used it similarly. It seemed now that it was far from the case.

“Show me what you feel.”

“Hear, Blade,” he said.

“Fine,” I said. “Show me what you hear.”

“You don’t detect it?”

“Not so much. Inside the city, it isn’t easy. There are so many different flows of power, and it is hard for me to decipher between some of them. The more dangerous ones carry an obvious sense, but not all do.”

He then set off without saying anything else. He kept holding the fabrication up to his ear. I had worked with Jos a few times but never realized he was listening to the fabrication. Maybe that was a failing on my part and something I should have known about him.

We moved past the shops, out beyond several more expensive homes, and even past the temple of the Sacred Souls, before moving onward.

Then he slowed.

“Here,” he said. “I can hear something, but I’m unsure what it was. It’s sort of lingering here.”

“Let me see if I can determine anything.”

We were near enough to the city's outskirts but not quite to that. There were still smaller homes arranged here, and the roads themselves were a little narrower, with not quite the same crowd density as was found deeper in the city. We weren’t far from the harbor, though; the sounds of ships, shouting of men and women working, and even the occasional splash of waves along the seawall drifted to me from here.

I had to ignore all of it. I close my eyes, focusing on whether I could pick up on anything. If there was going to be some element of power, I was going to need to concentrate on it and would need to have an opportunity to try to detect just what it was and how that power lingered because, in my mind, it seemed as if there should be something here.

Especially if Jos had detected something.

But I wasn’t sure what it was.

Like I told him, a power came all around us, and I had learned how to suppress the power, trying to ignore it. That was a lesson I had gained in Ardem, as I needed to try to focus on everything that was there but could not pick up on it. The challenge for me was ignoring all of the noise around me. Inside Busal City, there was plenty of magical noise. There was the underlying energy of the palace and the magic that was generally found there. There was an undercurrent of the fabrications, many of them minor fabrications, but increasingly, more and more of the Ardem fabrications were flowing into the city. That constant awareness and pressure made it difficult for me to identify, and I had not been able to separate the reason for it, but I knew there was some part of it that I would have to try to ignore. And there was a faint tracing of something else, though it was subtle enough that I couldn’t quite identify what it was, only that there did seem to be some undercurrent of power that I could pick up on. If I pressed hard enough, I had to think that perhaps I could track that faint tracing and might even be able to follow it.

But not now.

Now, I focused on what was close to me.

And there was, as Jos suggested, something close.

What was more, it was familiar to me.

Why, though?

I continued to try to concentrate on it and focus on whether there was any element of that power that I could pick up on and that I might be able to identify, as I knew that I would need to try to make sense of it. Unfortunately, despite its proximity and how I knew that we had to be close to it, it evaded me.

I took a few steps in a circle, focusing only on that familiarity.

And then I remembered what it was and why I felt it.

I opened my eyes and looked down at the ground.

“Blade?” Jos asked.

I raised a hand, keeping him silent. I felt a presence, but I needed to know if I could see any sign of the power here.

Because what I felt was aelith powder.

And if it was here, I should see it.

And then I did. A faint, shimmering dusting that looked as if it had spilled.

Holding my hand out, I pressed closer to the ground, testing for what was there until I detected the signature.

Definitely powder.

But why was it here?

And who had brought it?

And more than that, did it have anything to do with the protests that were taking place along the shore?

Chapter Seven

Now that I knew there was some powder in the city, I needed to figure out what was going on with it, and the only way I could do that would be by tracking its sense. I had not been able to find any additional connection to it, but I maintained a focus, trying to concentrate on whether there would be some of that power that lingered. So far, I had not found it.

I was tempted to bring one of the Investigator’s fabrications with me, thinking that perhaps there might be something with that that I might use to try to detect more, but I wasn’t sure if I could find anything by doing so. I doubted that a fabrication like that would be effective for me, primarily because there was the genuine possibility that I could destroy the fabrication rather than use it. Still, given what I suspected about others, I had to believe that there could be some additional connection that would make a difference and that perhaps I could find and possibly track.

It left me working through the city’s perimeter, testing why I had detected something. We weren’t due to get another shipment from Ardem for another day or so, which meant that my responsibilities with ensuring that the incoming fabrications were safe and stable had a bit more time. I remained somewhat concerned about the protests and the possibility that we might deal with something else, but I had not seen anything.

I kept on edge, alert for the possibility that I might come across something more, but other than the underlying fabrications, everything around me seemed empty.

What I needed most was to figure out how to repress some of the other powers that had begun moving around here. I had started to feel something from that but was not entirely sure what I had felt; it seemed to me that there was an undercurrent of power that I had to try to ignore.

“There you are,” a familiar voice said from behind me. I spun, looking over to Ellie, leaning against the nearby building, twisting a short blade in her hand as she looked across the street at me. I was in a part of the city with a row of shops, thinking that perhaps what I had detected had come from a merchant that had moved through, but I wasn’t entirely sure. When the powder was in the city before, it had been relatively easy for me to track, but this wasn't easy.

“Done with Dorian?”

She shrugged slightly. “I haven’t been with him today. I’ve been checking on my brother. He was upset that I was gone for as long as I was, and I’ve been trying to spend more time with him since I’ve been back.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“He said that he’s been doing well with the Investigators.”

I moved off the street, getting closer to Ellie. “That’s what I’ve heard, as well.”

“Is there anything I can do to help ensure he stays with them?”

“It has to be him, Ellie.”

“I realize that he has to do the work, but I just wondered if there might be something I could do to help make sure that he…” She shook her head. “I don’t even know. I just want him not to have to worry so much.” She looked up at me. “Mostly about me, but I also want him to feel like he can be settled.”

“Do you feel like you are settled?”

She snorted. “Not so much. I keep thinking I will feel that way, but I’ve gone from working with you to doing a little more now, so I don’t feel settled. Not so much.”

“But you also have something you can hold onto as your own.”

“I suppose. Why? What’s your point?”

“That’s what he’s trying to get. He wants to make sure that he has something as well.”

It was something that I knew a little bit about. After I left the army, I had been a bit adrift, and having something that I could claim as my own—and in this case, it was serving as a Blade—meant that I finally felt as if I didn’t have to question what I was going to do with my time and didn’t have to worry about how I could be helpful. That was probably the same thing that her brother had been going through. And knowing that I needed to give him more grace than I had.

“He’s my brother. Of course he has something.”

“You need something besides your will,” I said.

She was quiet for a moment. “When we were back home,” she started, “he was supposed to be apprenticed to the local blacksmith.” She looked up. “I don’t think that he cared much for it. He had promised my mother that he would go off and enlist, and she was irritated by that.” She shook her head. “Knowing that she was a Blade, I wonder why she tried to protect him from that.”

“Maybe she wanted to keep him from needing to serve someone.”

“But you always serve someone, don’t you? Unless you’re the Queen. Or Dorian, but I suppose he served the Queen, as well. Even if it doesn’t always look like it.” She frowned. “It’s just that I think he wasn’t thrilled with his apprenticeship, either. So when we lost her, it’s almost like there’s a part of me that thinks he might have been…” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t even make that suggestion.”

“I’m sure that he misses your mother like you do. And I’m also sure he feels guilty about how he might have felt. And I suspect that he knows that it wasn’t reasonable.”

He fell into a bit of silence, and after a bit, she looked over. “Anyway,” Ellie said, as if dismissing the topic that we had been discussing, “I sensed that you were out here, and I came to see what you were doing. You’ve been making a circle around the city. Is there anything going on that I need to know about?”

“You or Dorian?”

“He didn’t send me out here if that’s what you’re asking.”

I wasn’t sure what I was asking, but maybe that was it.

“I detected a bit of a dangerous powder. Not much of it, just a little, but the powder has been found in the city before and is quite destructive. I wanted to know if there was anything to it that I could find. The hard part for me is that I cannot ignore all of the fabrications now found around the city, nor can I ignore the city’s power as I try to isolate the powder.”

“But isn’t that what we did in Ardem?”

“Something like that, but it’s not working.” I wasn’t sure why and didn’t know if there was anything more I needed to try to understand, but the truth was that it did not seem to be working as I thought it should. I could feel the undercurrent of different energies in the city, but they all mingled.

“Well, when we were in Ardem, you told me to push away all fabrications. That was hard because everything was fabricated. But if you are looking for something that is not fabricated, can you push away all of the fabrications now, and maybe even push away your awareness of what is around the city, and maybe come up with that other energy?”

“I can try,” I said, “and I have been, but I’m hoping to come across something more acute.”

“What are you so concerned about with this powder?”

“It makes fabrications more potent,” I said.

“So?”

“And considering how many fabrications that we have coming into the city, I am quite concerned about the possibility that some of these fabrications might be augmented with this powder. If so, the power that could be added into them could be devastating, if somebody were to get a hold of them.”

“Because of what’s happening with those protests.”

“Somewhat,” I admitted.

But that wasn’t even my primary concern. Although, a part of me wondered if maybe it should be. There might be more reason to be concerned about it than just the fact that powder was moving through the city; it was just that it wasn’t quite apparent to me until I had a better way of tracking it down and finding who was responsible. In the past, it had been tied to an attempt to sow destruction through the city, and while that might still be part of the purpose, I did not know why we would see it.

As far as I knew, the Guild had ensured that they were in control of the flow of the powder. And I doubted that Erantor would have allowed anyone access to it.

Ellie offered a bit of a shrug, then pushed off the wall, standing upright, before twirling her blade and slipping it into the sheath. She flashed a smile at me. “Let’s go looking, then. I can see if I can pick up anything. I’m not quite as talented as you, but I’m coming along.”

“You are coming along, and I suspect it won’t be long before you are just as good, if not better than me.”

She beamed at me. “What do we need to do now, then?”

“Continued to circle.”

“It’s boring, Zaren. I’d rather go to the market, wander the harbor, or even head through the ruins, or any place but just wander the edge of the city.”

“That’s the life of the Blade,” I said.

“It is not. You do a lot more than that.”

I shrugged, setting off. But I did as she suggested and tried to push away my awareness of the fabrications around me. I had rarely attempted something quite so dramatic inside of Busal City, as there had been reasons to try to keep an awareness of those fabrications. I did not want to lose track of the possibility that there would be more spreading than I had had an opportunity to identify. I also had to try to push away the sense of the city itself.

That was more difficult than the fabrications. Whereas the fabrications left me with a vague sort of irritation that washed over me, the sense of the city was something different and a bit unique that I couldn’t quite place.

But why should there be that powder here?

That thought kept coming back to me. And strangely, I had good memories of the hunt for the powder, as it was one of the times when I had thought that Waleith was still helping. It was also when I came to know Garridan, who had become much more significant to me than I would’ve imagined when we first met on board that ship.

“All I feel are fabrications,” she said. “Maybe I’m the one who is the issue.”

“I doubt that you are any sort of an issue. That is all I have been able to feel, as well. Maybe not quite as potently as what we felt in Ardem, but it is still a prominent sense that I have, which is a little difficult and more than a little surprising, but I’m not able to push past that.”

“Should we get Asi to help us?”

“I’m sure she would be open to it, but this might be something the Investigators are going to be better equipped to help us with.”

“So I can get my brother.” She smiled broadly.

“If you find anything, I want you to report it to me.”

“Of course, but honestly, Zaren, I’m not even going to know what it feels like, and I doubt I could tell you if there is anything strange.”

That was a problem because she wouldn’t know about the powder, would she?

There might be a way for her, though.

“Come on,” I said, making sure she followed.

“Where are we going?”

“You need to know what we are pursuing. You need to know what it feels like. You need to know how to ignore the sense of everything else about it and focus only on that.”

“So you have some storehouse of it?”

“I don’t, but I suspect Matherin still does.”

“If it is dangerous as you say, why would he keep it?”

“Because it’s useful in fabrications. It augments them. And it can change them as well. And knowing Matherin, and just what kind of things he likes to work on, I suspect that he will have done something with this powder. But even if he hasn’t, he undoubtedly has some on hand that he can use so that we can allow you to become familiar with it.”

“And then I can search? Like a real Blade?”

It wouldn’t be terrible to have Ellie looking for it. Besides, now that we were back and needed to ensure that the fabrications were situated as safely as possible, I might need her to help me with this, especially if something was going to be unusual here.

“Then you can search like a real Blade. Because that’s what you are, Ellie.”

“Not yet,” she said. “But soon. I’m sure you will tell me that I can work independently soon.” She beamed. “And then I get paid.”

“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself.”

“I’m not going to do this for free, Zaren.”

“And when did you think you were doing it for free?”

“Am I getting paid?”

“Have you had to pay for your food? A place to stay? Your clothes?”

“Those are just necessities. I need spending money.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I said.

“Aren’t you in charge of it, anyway?”

“For the Blades and the Investigators, but I might be able to get you a copper or two a week.”

“A copper? That’s barely enough for me to do anything with. How about a silver?”

“How about we stop discussing this?” I said as we continued toward the palace. As we did, I tried and continued to fail, pushing away the sense of the city and the sense of the fabrications and focusing on the source of the powder.

I didn’t know if there was going to be anything problematic with that, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there might be more to it than I had been able to find, and if so, I couldn’t shake the possibility that it might pose an additional danger to us.

This meant that I could not let it drop. I had to hope that Matherin did have some powder on him because, as I had said, I might need Ellie to help.

Chapter Eight

Having returned to Busal City after dealing with the trade negotiations in Ardem, and with what I had thought was a newfound rapport with Dorian, I was a little disappointed that we hadn’t started working together better. I still felt he wanted something from me, but it wasn’t so much what he wanted for me that had me concerned. It was what he wanted from Ellie.

She had been working with him regularly. Each time she returned to me, she was filled with stories of the palace, and some of the people, places, and things that Dorian had shown her. She was excited, and I was careful not to diminish her excitement, because I understood it.

I had fallen into a bit of a routine as well. Several collections of fabrications were making their way toward Busal City, and I had ensured that I was with them to supervise their transportation and to screen for any dangerous fabrications. I had not picked up on anything alarming, but I remained on edge and worried about some fabrications slipping in unnoticed. It would be an easy thing for someone to maneuver fabrications into the city while my focus was on those we were bringing in from Ardem.

“You seem distracted,” Jos said as I leaned against the Investigator station. The building itself had been cleaned. With increased funding for the Investigators—something that I had seen to—they had the means to ensure they were better supplied and better staffed. We were bringing more Investigators on board, though it was a slow process, as significant training was involved.

“Just trying to see if I feel anything else.”

“What’s that like when you sense something? I’ve always wondered, and the old Blade never was the kind of man you could ask that sort of thing,” Jos asked.

“When I pick up on the sense of magic, I feel as if part of me is reacting to it,” I said, staring quietly. My gaze drifted along the street. There was activity here, but most of it was the standard sort of activity in the city, from merchants escorting cargo off ships or from sailors. Occasionally there was a steady patrol of soldiers, mostly Empyreans now, though that was a new activity, and there were more than a few regular folk wandering the streets. “Never really felt that way before. At least, when I started to learn about what I could do, I wasn’t quite as aware of it. Now I pick up on magic almost all the time. For the most part, I think it’s because of my training, and the connection I have to magic. But some of it leaves me wondering if a part of me has begun to change.”

“What does that mean?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I suspect I’ve gotten stronger.”

Jos grunted. “Stronger? Looks to me like you are strong enough, and I don’t think that you need to be any stronger.”

“Magically stronger,” I said. “Or I suppose antimagically stronger. I’m not really even sure what to make of it. It is a form of magic, though. At least, in a way it is.” I shook my head. “We’re going to have to start figuring out whether some of the candidates have even more potential.” When Jos looked at me, I shrugged. “It’s something I need to do. I have to rebuild the Blades.”

“So there are going to be more like you?”

“Well, I don’t know if it’s a matter of more like me or if there are others like you, and the rest, who will have Blade potential. If anybody has a measure of potential, it seems to me that we can harness it, hold it, and maybe even draw it out.”

“So you’re saying I could become a Blade?”

I hadn’t given that a lot of thought. In my mind, Investigators had always been those who had minor potential. They were able to use the fabrications that were designed to augment natural ability, and then take that and…

And why shouldn’t they be able to test whether they could strengthen themselves? Just because they weren’t like me didn’t mean that they couldn’t function as a Blade.

Maybe we needed to find those who had that type of potential and figure out a way to strengthen it. It was something that would have to ask Asi about, as I wasn’t entirely sure what it had been like at the training compound.

I had Ellie, and she was the only other person I had met other than Asi who had Blade potential. But there had to be others. It couldn’t be that rare an ability. The challenge was in trying to figure out what that ability was, and how to identify it.

Maybe that was something Matherin could help me with. It was a concept that I had not given much thought to, but perhaps it was time for me to start digging into a different element of my responsibilities.

“Maybe you could,” I said.

I heard—and felt—something distinct not far from us.

“Get some of the others,” I said.

“What is it now?”

“Don’t know. Maybe a protest, but something’s going on.”

I set off, resting my hand on my blade and feeling some of the innate energy within it. I was curious as to whether holding my blade, and becoming reliant upon it, was a dangerous thing. The blade was little more than a fabrication designed to augment my natural talents, but I also questioned whether the blade was anything more than a crutch.

Maybe my strength in my ability had been changing because of the nature of the blade that I was carrying. It was a raw fabrication, as Matherin had said. It had not been attuned to anybody prior to my wielding it. And because of that, I had been able to use it more effectively than I had the smaller blade given to me by Waleith.

I was going to have to ask Asi about her experience. She had been given a pair of raw fabrications as well. And if her experience was similar to mine, perhaps she had learned something from wielding her blade that would help the two of us understand more.

But now was not the time for such considerations.

A line of constables greeted me at the end of the street. I found one that I recognized, an older, stocky man with a hard jawline, named Rawlin. I gave him a slight nudge on the shoulder, and he glanced over at me.

“Blade,” he said.

“What’s going on up here?”

“Protesters,” he said. “A little more aggressive than usual, but we’ve got orders to just let them go on with what they’re doing.”

“Orders from Harent?”

“Harent,” he confirmed.

He turned his attention back to the crowd.

I focused on what was happening up ahead, because while I could feel some of it, I did not know what I was picking up on. A contour of power was different from what I had identified before. I had been searching the city over the last few days, testing for power similar to what Asi had uncovered, but I had not come across it. If there was anything dangerous in the city, I had not found it. And I was concerned about that, because I had no idea whether we were going to have to dig through some new threat.

“Most of the protests have been relatively benign,” I said.

Other than the initial protest that I’d seen. That one had been violent. And there had been an uncurrent of power, though it had been subtle.

“Most,” he said.

“What have you seen from some of the others?”

“Some are more violent than others. Nothing we need a Blade for. No offense, Blade.”

I shrugged. “None taken. I just want to know if I need to be involved in anything.”

Jos came running up from behind me, and he was bringing Byron and Kurn.

“What’s going on?” Jos asked.

“Now you’ve got more of your kind here?” Rawlin asked.

“We work together,” I said. “Or hasn’t Harent made that clear?”

“Just hard, you know,” Rawlin said.

He glanced over Jos, and a flicker of something crossed his gaze. It seemed the two men knew each other. Something passed between them, and I didn’t much care for it.

I looked around. As I did, I felt the power up ahead, and I tried to make sense of it, but right now, I could not. It was vague and empty, and it made me uneasy.

“Stay with the constables,” I said to Jos. “Test whether there is anything here. I need to check on something.”

“If you say so,” Jos said. “You know, we can help you, Blade.”

“This is you helping,” I said.

I needed them to see that they were helping, but at the same time, I didn’t know if they would pick up on the same things that I could. I could move quickly and did not have to rely upon fabrications in order to detect magic. So as I moved forward, I focused.

Once past the line of the constables, I found the marching protesters.

They were all dressed in a variety of clothing, some with more formal robes, as if they came from money, and others with less formality. A few were carrying weapons, but none of them were brandished. And they were just shouting.

“Send them back!”

“They aren’t wanted here!”

“We don’t need your filthy magic!”

There were other shouts, but generally they were similar—all conveying a similar anger.

I marched along with the crowd, and I tried to make sense of what was here and whether I could pick up on anything. But there was just an absence of actual power that felt almost empty. That emptiness made it difficult for me to know what it was. It just left me with an awareness of power, something that radiated around me and made me feel as if that uncomfortable sensation was not my imagination. It could not be.

Eventually, I paused.

A different sort of power emanated from the center of the gathered protesters here.

I wasn’t quite sure if what I detected was real, and so I tested as I moved through the crowd. I passed an elderly couple, who glanced at me, seeming to size me up for a moment before moving to the side, as if wanting to get away from me. I moved past them and found a group of younger men wearing tattered clothing. They were practically singing their protest. I moved past them, focusing on another grouping, and as I did, I continued to feel an emptiness.

Still, I was certain about what I felt.

We moved along the street.

The throng of protesters seemed to be swelling, growing faster than I would have expected. I was surrounded by them, and I did not want to move until I had a better sense of what was responsible for this. And unfortunately, I could not identify that. I could feel the power, the strange emptiness, but I wasn’t aware of anything more than that.

It was there, though. It was all around me. It was lingering in the air, as if it were tied to…

Tied to the chant.

I almost froze, but something pushed me. Someone pushed me.

I’d felt something like that before.

It had been a while now, but anytime I had encountered somebody from the Guild, whether it was Benjamin or Garridan, they had used a sort of power tied to sound and song and something similar to this.

Did that mean that the Guild was here, and responsible for these protests?

They had left me a note, but I would not have expected them to be active in Busal City. Perhaps I had come to trust Garridan too much.

I moved toward the center of the crowd, as I needed to figure out who was responsible for sending this power outward.

But in my mind, I suspected that there was a telltale sign, something that would be similar to what Benjamin and Garridan had done when they had used their power. I should be able to find that.

I picked my way forward, fighting through the crowd. More and more people started to move away from me, as if they were afraid.

And that was a good thing. I had to use my size.

I started pushing people to the side. Every time I did, I felt for any bit of power within them but continued to come up empty. There was no clear answer as to whether any of these people had any power.

Until I saw a woman near the center.

She had raven hair that hung in waves down her back, and her gaze was fixed straight ahead. She was wearing a deep green cloak and looked far different from the others around her. It wasn’t until I had pushed my way forward that I was able to catch a glimpse of her, as if the others in the crowd were trying to mask her presence.

I got close. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t try anything. I just focused. And up close, I was aware of what she was doing, of the power she was wielding. It was the kind of power that I felt as an uneasy sensation that rippled and flowed outward.

And if I wasn’t mistaken, that power seemed to be working toward the others around us, mingling with them, influencing them in some way.

I drew my shorter blade. And then I began to push.

But I wasn’t fast enough. There was a shout from somebody beside me.

“He’s got a knife!”

And then the crowd broke into a wild chaos.

But not the woman. She looked back at me, and there was just a hint of a smile on her face. But the swarm of people around me prevented me from getting to her.

Chapter Nine

“So you’re saying that a woman is leading them?” Harent asked. He sat back in his chair in his office, sweeping his gaze around before it settled on me for a long moment. His emotionless eyes seemed to take in everything, and his graying hair looked a little thinner than the last time I’d seen it.

“I’m just telling you what I found,” I said.

I couldn’t shake off what I had seen. And I didn’t know if she was a member of the Guild, but considering how much of my experience had been shaped by the Guild, I had to believe that it was somehow responsible. I felt a rising desire to know more about the Guild, and what was going on. There was a conflict within the organization, from what I had seen. And perhaps that conflict had expanded beyond Ardem, had spread here. Maybe the Guild was upset because of the agreement that we had made with Ardem, or perhaps one aspect of the Guild was upset because of my role in disrupting the division within the Guild when we’d been in Ardem.

And if that were the case, then perhaps I had made a mistake in getting involved at all. These thoughts were troubling, but there wasn’t much that I could do about them now. The only thing that I could do was to keep moving, to figure out more about what was happening.

“We’ve got the whole area cordoned off,” Harent said. “And we’re looking into what you saw, but so far, nobody has seen anything to explain the dark-haired woman. It would help if you gave us a better description.”

“I would love to give you a better description,” I said, feeling the sarcasm in his tone. “But as I told you, she was wearing a cloak, and I had a crowd of protesters around me. Besides, she was influencing the crowd in some way. I don’t know if she was influencing me.”

That had been another consideration after the attack, and I had not really been able to come to a conclusion about it. I suspected that she had done something. The effect had certainly been subtle. It hadn’t been until I had gotten close enough that I could pick up on what she had been doing, but normally, I was immune to such magic. It would be strange if I had suddenly lost that ability. But then again, some within the Guild had been able to overpower me.

“We’ve got people investigating,” Harent said, shaking his head. “Much like I suspect you have your people investigating.”

“I do,” I said.

And they all had fabrications that could detect magic. We needed to dig into what was out there. I certainly didn’t want to leave this as an unaddressed issue.

“We haven’t really thought much of these protests,” Harent said, shaking his head. “They haven’t been violent.”

“Not yet, but what if that changes? I wonder if there is more to the protests than we’ve seen.”

“We can keep an eye on things, but the Crown hasn’t wanted us to break up the protesters. Not yet. Are you saying that is changing?”

“Doubtful,” I said. “The Queen won’t want to enable any issues here, either.”

But there might be something I could do. Dorian could help as well. It might involve keeping his Empyreans—and they were almost definitely his Empyreans these days—patrolling the streets more effectively.

“Let’s just be careful,” I said. “I will keep working with my people, and if you see any sign of protesters, let me know. Something strange has been going on. Asi warned me about different activity in the city, but she isn’t sure what’s causing it. I would like to make sure that we have every opportunity to counter a threat before it has a chance to take hold.”

“It’s a good thing you’re back.”

“Unless it’s my fault that this is happening.”

Harent laughed. “Oh, don’t be like that, Zaren. Not everything is your fault.”

“Not everything, but unfortunately, enough has been.”

I set off and headed toward the palace.

I found myself unusually on edge. Before I managed to get to the palace, however, I felt another rhythmic trembling.

This one was to the western edge of the city. I couldn’t tell if it was inside the city. I stopped in the middle of the street suddenly, and a pair of merchants behind me nearly crashed into me, muttering some curse under their breath that I suspected they didn’t intend me to hear, and which I ignored.

It did give me an opportunity to see if I could feel anything. I didn’t detect anything other than that faint trembling, however.

Someone shouted my name. I turned to see Magnus Telling approaching. He was a well-dressed man, though I knew that he had come from a lower upbringing than many of the others within the council. His money was not necessarily all well-earned, but he had started more traditional businesses, which had gained him prominence and had allowed him to rise within the Queen’s council.

He swept off his wide-brimmed hat and bowed to me. “Mr. Joha,” he said, looking at me and then looking around. “Come to shop with your betters?”

I frowned at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It was merely a joke, Mr. Joha. I was just surprised to see you here. My reports suggest that you spend most of your time in the lower sections of the city. Not surprising, as that is often where trade of your kind of contraband takes place, but that does suggest that certain areas of the city have been neglected.”

I paused, and though I could still feel that sharp energy, it did seem to be fading. Telling had interrupted my focus and might have kept me from following it.

Did he know?

I had to keep those suspicions at bay. Historically, my suspicions had not often proven accurate. Now, however, I didn’t think there was the same threat of betrayal.

“They have not been neglected,” I said. When he arched a brow, I shrugged, sweeping my gaze around. “My Investigators have placed detection fabrications all throughout the city. Every part of the city is now continuously tested.” I watched his face as I spoke, curious as to whether he might remark upon that, but when he didn’t, I kept going. “Generally, however, I tend to focus my energy on places that have more dangerous sorts of powers.”

His smile broadened. “And by that you mean that there has not been any danger in these sections. That is good to know. Does your presence here mean that you detect something dangerous?”

“Does it?” I asked.

Telling laughed. “I do like having conversations with you, Mr. Joha. It’s always a little cat and mouse, isn’t it? Although, from your tone, I take it that you’re trying to implicate me in something you’re investigating. That is unfortunate, because I have not been doing anything that should have drawn any untoward attention.”

I shrugged. “I haven’t accused you of anything, Councilor Telling. I was merely remarking upon the role that my people have in the city.”

The trembling had begun to fade, and I doubted that I would be able to follow it. That frustrated me.

I didn’t blame Telling for that. Well, not directly, but I also didn’t want to dismiss the possibility that he knew something and had been trying to intervene.

“What do you think of these protests?” Telling asked.

I had been staring into the distance, focusing on that fading, undulating energy, and his question brought me back to him. It was almost as if he were aware I was focusing on the power, or perhaps it was just coincidental. I didn’t want to accuse him of something he didn’t have a hand in, but I also wanted to be alert to the possibility that he knew more than he was letting on.

“I think people are on edge. They don’t understand what’s going on, and I think that if I were in a different position, I would understand how they feel.”

“Have you said this to Her Majesty?”

“No,” I said.

Telling laughed. “Oh, I would love to be there when you do.”

“I don’t intend to tell her how to handle politics,” I said. “I’m just making an observation.”

“Yes, but you are talking about a monarch who has no need to involve the populace in such decisions.”

“She involves the council already,” I said, “and the council is elected. Or at least seemingly elected.”

Everyone knew that the council comprised those with enough money to bribe their way into that position. There were no representatives of lower class, other than Telling.

“I see. So by that statement, you are implying that it should fall to the council to ensure that the people understand.”

I shrugged. “Someone needs to do it.”

Telling nodded. “In that, I feel we agree. It would be beneficial for all to understand the dynamics of what Her Majesty has done.” He stepped forward, dropping his voice. When he did, I felt the presence of his fabrications. I had always known that he carried fabrications, as many people of means did in the city. His were mostly protective, like my lapel pin and the fabrications that the Empyreans wore. “I understand you had a bit of trouble when you were in Ardem. A shame.”

“Everything is fine,” I said, keeping my voice the same. “The negotiations were perhaps a little more complicated than we anticipated, but the trade agreement was finalized as needed.”

“Well, Ardem is a difficult land, and the people are difficult as well. So that is reassuring, but…” He stepped back, eyeing me up. “I would like to know more about what you experienced.”

“If you have questions about the trade agreement or what transpired, I would encourage you to go to Prince Dorian.”

“I’m coming to you, Mr. Joha. I’m looking for information. I’d be willing to pay, of course.” Telling regarded me as he frowned. “Although you don’t strike me as the kind of man who is motivated by coin. Perhaps that is how the Queen keeps your loyalty.”

“I serve at her whim. She doesn’t need to buy my loyalty.”

“Which is why you were so motivated to find the traitors within the palace. Now I understand you.”

I snorted. “If you think that is the reason, then you really don’t understand me.”

Telling regarded me for a long moment, as if puzzling something out, and I did not care for the way that he seemed to be weighing me. There was something unnerving in his expression, something almost too knowing. This was a man who had maneuvered his way through the politics of the city and had gained a measure of respect, and wealth, after starting from none.

“Regardless, perhaps one evening the two of us could have a drink, and we could talk.”

“Perhaps,” I said. I looked around and caught a familiar gaze. I tipped my head to Telling. “I have my responsibilities to attend to, Councilor Telling. I do appreciate your conversation.”

And with that, I stepped toward Lijanna, who was observing a group of patrolling constables.

“Causing trouble, are you?” she asked.

“Not trying to,” I said. “But it seems trouble keeps finding me.”

“The councilor?”

“I’m not sure. He’s always struck me as a little…”

“Slimy?”

“Pretty much,” I said. “But at the same time, I think he’s trying to help Busal City. I just don’t know why.”

“Money,” she said with a shrug. “The same reason he does anything. He’s looking to profit. And if the city does well, he will profit, so he’ll do whatever he can to keep it profitable. But if his profit were in danger… well, I think you have to be careful with that one.”

I looked over at Telling and found him still watching me. “I’m always careful.”

But maybe I needed to be even more so.

Chapter Ten

Iwas not all that excited about dealing with the protests. They had been relatively quiet, but I had a rising concern that something more insidious was going on.

The constables had been looking into the protests, as had the Investigators, but there was nothing to be done about them.

When I reached my home, I found a note attached to the door, with the Queen’s seal on it, and I frowned.

A summons?

Most of the time, the Queen didn’t actually summon me to the palace. She simply waited for me to come to her.

Rather than delay, I made sure I had my lapel pin, the crest that declared that I served the Queen’s household, and my sword, then marched up to the palace grounds. I was waved in, which was reassuring, and before I could go in, I saw Jamie.

Jamie caught me as I crossed over to the palace entrance, and he offered a hint of a wry smile. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Is it?” I asked.

“It is. I must admit that it has been unfortunate not having you around the palace, so it has been nice to have you return to where you belong.”

I snorted. “I’ll be honest, Jamie, there are times I’m not sure this is where I belong. Times when I feel I don’t really belong anywhere.”

“This is where you belong. I’ve heard the Queen speaking of it. She is quite pleased with your service, you know.”

I wasn’t sure about that, but it was nice for him to say so. “Everything has been a little calmer lately. It’s good, I think.”

“Not completely calm, though.”

“No. There has been more activity with some strangeness taking place around the city.”

“Strangeness. Of course. And you would be a good one to deal with it.” Jamie beamed. “You handle these things quite well.”

I frowned at him. “Are you handling me right now?”

He frowned back. “What would ever give you that idea?”

“It’s just some of the things that you’re saying. You keep implying…” I grimaced. “What did she tell you to do?”

“She didn’t tell me to do anything, Zaren. I just know that she is hopeful that you will help her, and I know that it involves you becoming more intimate with the inner workings of the palace.”

“Great,” I muttered. I let out a sigh and then patted my pocket that had the summons in it. “Time for a meeting, I think.”

“She called you?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder why.”

“And here I had assumed that it was all tied together with whatever you have been trying to tell me.”

“Not all tied together. But somewhat.”

“Anyway,” I said. “Hopefully, nothing else is happening besides what we’ve got going on, because I have enough issues with the outcome of the negotiations in Ardem.”

“I haven’t heard anything. Which, I suppose, is not terribly surprising, but…” It was Jamie’s turn to trail off, and his expression darkened. “You know, I’ve gotten accustomed to having access within the palace. Maybe that is part of the problem. I have been far too involved, and it is not my place.”

“You could take on the role that she has in mind for me.”

“I would much rather not,” he said with a slight smile, “as it wouldn’t suit me. I think I’m just nosy. And considering all the time that I have spent around the Queen lately, I’m used to being in the now. So I don’t care for it when I don’t know what might be happening in the city—or the palace.”

I snorted. “Yes, I understand that.”

I patted Jamie on the shoulder and then headed into the palace, where I took a brief moment to survey everything. As I often did when I came to the palace, I tested for magical influence, but I found nothing other than the usual undercurrent of power that existed within the palace itself, one that didn’t necessarily feel as if it were fabricated, but was powerful nonetheless.

I breathed out before approaching the Queen’s quarters and then paused. I wasn’t sure this was where I was supposed to meet her. I simply didn’t know what she wanted from me or if she had called me with any urgency. That information had not been included in the summons.

Without Hobell, I didn’t have anybody to ask.

“Her Majesty is not present in her quarters,” a timid voice said from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw a petite, brown-haired servant clad in white robes standing just behind me. “But Her Majesty said that if you came, you would find her in her study.”

“If I came?”

“I’m assuming that you are Mr. Joha, given how Her Majesty described you, but I have to admit that you are a bit larger than I expected…” She shook her head, flushing slightly. “I’m sorry, sir.”

I wanted to know more about what she’d heard about me, but I was surprised that the Queen had instructed one of her servants to bring me to her.

“If you can guide me to the study, I would be most grateful.”

She nodded, keeping her head down, blushing again.

I instinctively struggled with the way she kept looking away from me, because I was concerned that this person might end up like Hobell and betray the Queen. I had become much more suspicious since then, but I needed to work on that, because I couldn’t blame everybody for Hobell’s mistakes.

She guided me down to the main level toward closed double doors. They were intricately carved, with some symbols on them. I’d never been to this part of the palace. I realized there might be another benefit to having greater proximity to the Queen. It might allow me to learn more about the palace so I could keep a better eye on her and potential dangers that might befall her.

“Here, sir,” the servant said.

“No ‘sir,’” I said. “I’m just Zaren.”

She bobbed her head again and looked uncomfortable. “Her Majesty is just inside.”

Instinctively I used my Blade ability, to test for any dangerous power. I didn’t expect to find anything, but there was that possibility. I felt some lingering energy, but it was mostly fabrications. And with that, I couldn’t help but feel I could find something else if I had an opportunity to detect even a little bit more.

The fabrications, however, were vague and indistinct. Some of the energy came from the servant. Some of it came from the arcane lanterns hanging on the walls. And some of it came from other places, powers that I could not fully feel.

Inside the palace, another layer of power always existed. Some of it was fabrications, but not all of it. Some seemed to come from the palace itself. I had not been able to determine that, nor the source of it, but I was quite sure that there was something to it.

After knocking, I heard a voice on the other side, and I was greeted by a pair of soldiers who pulled the doors open.

My gaze skimmed around the study. It was a wood-paneled room with tall shelving lining it. A table sat in the center of the room. The chairs around the table looked as if they were designed to hold meetings. Along the back wall, there was a large, cozy hearth with a crackling fire. Three chairs were nestled into that corner, angled toward the hearth.

However, the Queen was seated at the table, a series of books spread out in front of her.

She looked up as I entered, and she offered a hint of a smile, but it was little more than that.

“Your Majesty,” I said, tipping my head. “I received your summons.”

She snorted and waved a hand to the soldiers behind me, who closed the door, shutting us inside. They left us alone, though.

That surprised me. But then again, I was the Queen’s Blade, so I should be trusted with her safety.

“I wasn’t sure when you’d come, so I informed several of the servants that you might come calling.” She smiled tightly. “And it’s probably a good thing that I did, because I can easily imagine how some might have reacted to your appearance. It is quite different now than when I had Hobell.”

There was a crispness to her words, and a bit of an edge.

“If you need a report on the protests⁠—”

She waved a hand, dismissing that suggestion.

“This has nothing to do with the protests, though it is interesting to know that they have continued to cause problems for us. I thought we would have some issues with bringing the fabrications into the city, but I had not anticipated so much attention.”

“I think it’s the long history of magic being banned from Busal City, and now you are welcoming it.”

She rested her hands on one of the books. I glanced down, noting that it was a book of maps, much like the map she had unfurled on the desk before her.

“Lifting the ban was out of necessity, not choice,” she said. “I would have chosen otherwise.” She pressed her lips together, her gaze darting back down. “Now, as to the reason that I called you here…” She motioned to a chair across from her. “Take a seat, Mr. Joha.”

I did so and felt like I was overly large for the small wooden chair. I could have put two of them together and still felt uncomfortable.

“Have you spent much time outside the city?”

It was a strange question, and I wasn’t sure what she was getting at by asking it. “I’ve spent some outside it. Where in particular?”

“Just the surrounding countryside.”

“Not much,” I said.

“As I suspected. That makes this a little more difficult.” She pointed to a map that she had tucked underneath the large one of the entire realm resting on the table. It was a massive depiction of Busal. I had not seen anything quite like it. Harent had a map on his wall, but nothing quite so detailed.

“Here,” she said, motioning to the city on a different map. “Here’s the palace. Here’s the harbor. And this is for orientation.” She motioned to another section. “And we have some mountains here, some hard rock, and some farmland over here.” She continued pointing to various places. “Which leaves very little free space for what I envision.”

“What do you envision?” I asked.

She tapped on a section of the map in the southwest corner. It looked as if it was just outside the city itself, maybe an hour or two on foot, much less by horse.

“For what you need to do.” She looked up, meeting my gaze. “The Blade training compound was far too removed from the capital for it to be accessible and for anybody in the palace to keep tabs on what was happening.”

“I have heard that,” I said.

Everything I’d heard about the training compound suggested that it had been difficult to reach. That had been intentional, to a certain extent. The remoteness of the training compound meant that it would generally have been safe, but then, it had not been. As I studied the map, I started to understand what the Queen implied.

“You want us to rebuild the training compound here?”

“It’s a reasonable place to put it,” she said. “My surveyor suggested it, and while it is a little farther away than I would like, it does give an opportunity for growth.”

I frowned at that comment. “How large do you expect the compound needs to be?”

“I’m going to give you the details of the planning, Mr. Joha.”

“I’m not sure that I’m the right person for this.”

There was Asi, who would be far better at this task, but then, I had a feeling that she would not be pleased with the responsibility.

“I’m well aware that you did not go through standard training. And you can speak to Asi about what is and is not necessary for such a training compound, but I think that you have a unique perspective. What you have been through offers a different approach. Besides, I believe you have made some contacts outside Busal that might be beneficial.”

I blinked. “You want me to ask Ardem?”

“I believe that there is an element of trade that could be effective. They have those that have your skill set, and they train in a different way. It could be a useful way to further the relationship between our peoples.”

I wondered if that had been part of her intention in sending me there.

“I think they have to reestablish⁠—”

“I’m fully aware that they have gone through some difficulty, and it will be some time before they can contribute, but we have quite a bit of time before the compound is built. So,” she said, as if it was decided, “I’d like you to survey this area with my men and give your input.”

“Of course,” I said. There wasn’t much else that I could say.

“If there’s anything it lacks, please let me know. But I would like to get going on this quickly. We need to rebuild the Blades.”

I nodded. “I agree.”

“Good. Now, I have a few other things I would like to talk to you about, not least concerning your responsibilities as they change.”

“Of course,” I said, settling in.

I had thought I could delay this conversation, but then, what was there to delay? The Queen wanted me to serve in some advisory capacity, and in a way, I might be the right person for that.

I just wasn’t sure it was something that I wanted.

But unless we had a reason to delay, and the protests certainly didn’t seem to be one, I might as well get started.

Chapter Eleven

It took me a while to get out to the site of the future training compound. I had fully expected it to be a serviceable site, but there was far more land available here. And a few ideas came to me. More than I had expected.

The grounds were expansive, and I studied the space to envision what it might look like when it was completed.

“It won’t be like this, sir,” my companion said. He had a balding head, and his spectacles were far larger than I would have expected anyone to need.

“I’m just looking to make sure that it can be secured. Can it be secured, Mr. Olinash?”

He was one of the Queen’s architects and had been instructed to work with me, though I wasn’t sure that I was the right person for the job, despite what the Queen had said.

“As I have told Her Majesty, it is merely a matter of envisioning it under other circumstances. The site is inauspicious at this point.”

I smiled at that. Inauspicious. It was little more than inauspicious, primarily because the whole space looked to be in need of considerable work. But if it was effective, we might find something that had been missing for quite some time now.

And this was what the Queen had asked of me. This was what she had instructed me to do, for that matter. It was my job now.

“I can provide a mock-up, but that will take some time. Her Majesty wanted me to show you the space that I had considered, to get your opinion on the matter. She said that you were the one who had to approve of such things.”

From the way that he said this, I could tell that he didn’t agree with that arrangement, but then again, I didn’t wholly agree with it, either. The Queen might want me to approve of things, but it was always going to be her decision.

“I do appreciate your willingness to bring me out here, Mr. Olinash, but my concerns are about the proximity to the city.”

We were not that far from the boundary of Busal City. Little more than a short walk, in fact. It would not have the benefit of being hidden away. Then again, the last training compound had been destroyed by Waleith, not some local citizen who had known that it was there.

The Queen believed that by keeping the training compound closer to Busal City, she would have a better chance of overseeing the operation, and she would have an opportunity to ensure that there was a greater awareness of possible dangers that might develop.

“I believe the proximity is a strength, sir,” Mr. Olinash said.

I didn’t like the way that he kept calling me “sir,” but I wasn’t going to tell him not to. He didn’t report to me. He was reporting to me now, but that was because the Queen had instructed him to, and he didn’t have any choice in the matter. But there was another aspect to this venture that I was concerned about.

“There will need to be decent security here,” I said. “Walls. Protections. And…”

I wondered if we would even be able to use fabrications to defend the new training compound. How could we, when anything that we might place would undoubtedly be neutralized by the people training here?

So it had to be physical defenses.

“All right,” I said. “Come up with the most defensible solution that you can. This should be a fortress.”

Mr. Olinash frowned at me. “A fortress? Her Majesty never said⁠—”

“You said that Her Majesty wanted my input, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, I did, but I did not anticipate that you would want to build a fortress.”

“I want to build a fortress so that we can ensure that the structure is defensible. The last training compound was destroyed by enemies of the kingdom. Would you have the same thing occur again?”

“Of course not, sir.”

“So I want your mock-up,” I said, turning to him, “to include several layers of defense, and to be as formidable as you can make it.”

He nodded. “Of course, sir.”

“And then I will decide if it will be passable for its purpose.”

“Very well.”

Mr. Olinash watched me for a moment, as if waiting to see if I would say anything more. Then he turned away and left me alone.

The area that the Queen had suggested was slightly to the west of the city, and little more than an hour’s walk. It would be reached much faster on horseback, and I could envision building a compound here, but…

But it all came back to the same question.

Should I be involved in this?

I had asked Asi to attend this meeting, but she had not.

I tried not to feel disappointed, as she had her own part of Busal City to be concerned about, and I had to temper my expectations, but it was comforting having somebody else who understood the power that we wielded.

“Did I miss all the fun?” Asi asked, coming up behind me. She was holding the reins of a horse, and she looked over to where Mr. Olinash was making notes in a notebook about two dozen paces away from me. “I thought you would wait for me.”

“Sorry,” I said. “He’s a little agitated. I think he is following what he believes to be the Queen’s instructions, and…” I shrugged. “And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure if the Queen has instructed him or if Dorian has had a hand in it.”

“Oh?” She arched a brow. “Curious. What, exactly, are you worried about here?”

“Not worried, really. It’s just that I’m not sure I’m the right person to be involved in this.”

“She wants it here?” Asi turned in a circle. She frowned. “So close?”

“That was my question as well. The Queen thought that it would be beneficial to have easy access.”

“I see the benefit to her, but that might actually pose a danger to the city itself. There was a reason that the compound was out where it was, Zaren. Having it set too close to any populated areas would risk the security of the compound.”

“That was my concern,” I said.

“I suppose there could be a perimeter,” Asi said, frowning. “You could create a line of fabrications that would improve defensibility. That would assume that the Queen would be willing to invest in that.” She glanced at me. “Although, considering her recent arrangement with Ardem, I don’t imagine she would oppose the idea.”

“Probably not,” I said.

“So if we had a ring of fabrications around the new training compound, we could at least defuse any released power that might escape.” She nodded. “You know what? It could work.”

“I think you should be involved in this more than I should.”

“No,” she said, and then she smiled. “This really is better suited to you. I think in this case, having an outside perspective will be beneficial, especially because we don’t know what we might find here. We don’t know who might try to attack it. And you might actually be able to defend the compound, rebuilt and renewed, in a way that I wouldn’t be able to think of.”

“I’d still like your input,” I said.

“Well, I’m not saying you’re not going to have it. Even if you didn’t want it, I was going to give it to you.”

“Great,” I said with a laugh.

“When does the Queen intend to start construction?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. We don’t have anybody with potential yet, so having a place to train really doesn’t make much difference right now.”

“Not yet, but I don’t imagine it will be that difficult to find candidates. I would imagine that would be her next task for you.” Asi started to smile. “The traveling Blade, wandering the kingdom and searching for candidates.”

“I’m not sure that’s the right thing for me to do, especially because my wandering will take me away from other tasks that I need to do.”

“The city got along just fine in your absence,” she said.

She wasn’t wrong. Though pride made me think that I was needed here, even without me, Busal city would get along fine.

But then again, I was responsible for how secure the city was now. I was the reason that operations had improved, that the Investigators, the constables, and even the Empyreans all worked together.

“Once we make sure that the protests won’t pose any danger,” I said.

“Heard about the last one. Your Investigators talk to those on my side of the harbor. Gossip spreads quickly.”

“Sometimes I wonder if that’s actually better. If magic is instigating it…”

“You think it is?”

I had been careful with how much I had shared with Harent, and I had not had an opportunity to talk with Dorian about it, because he had been preoccupied—far too often with Ellie—but I had been searching for power similar to what I had felt during that last protest, and I had not found anything. If there were any other sources of magic like that, they were masked.

Which posed its own sort of danger. If those responsible for the protest had the ability to mask themselves from me, they could maneuver through the city without being detected, by me or by anybody else, and they could create more problems. In my mind, they were responsible for the protests spreading throughout the city.

“I think it’s because of me,” I said, pulling Asi to one side to get out of earshot of Mr. Olinash, not that he seemed to be listening. He was continuing to move around the site and make notes. I could imagine him drawing out what he envisioned the training compound to look like. “When I was in Ardem, I interrupted some operation of the Guild. And I can imagine the Guild is displeased with what I did, and will generally want revenge for it.”

“Revenge on you? Or revenge for what you did?”

“Maybe both,” I said. “Honestly, I don’t entirely know what to make of it. While I know the Guild is divided, it’s dangerous for us to get involved.”

“Great,” Asi muttered. “I liked it better when we just had to worry about people attacking Busal City. And here you have the Guild obtaining information about Waleith and what he was involved in. You think it’s possible that he gave them something that might be used against you?”

“It’s possible,” I said. When she looked over, arching a brow, I shrugged. “I don’t know if he has, but I also don’t know if the person that he was involved with would need anything from him. And I don’t really think Benjamin would betray me.”

At this point, I simply didn’t know what Benjamin might try, because Benjamin might have his own motivations. He was working to get back in with Garridan, and he would undoubtedly use whatever he needed to in order to regain Garridan’s favor.

“You could reach out to your Guild contact.”

The last time I had seen Garridan was on board the pirate ship as the Busalan delegation had been heading back to Busal. I had no idea where Garridan had been heading at that point, but there was no reason to think that he wouldn’t come this way. In fact, it was entirely possible that he would travel to Busal, especially if he thought that there was something that he needed to have a hand in.

“That’s not going to be easy,” I said. “He’s not really around.”

“Well, that makes it difficult, then. So what do we do?”

“The same as we have been doing,” I said. “We keep defending the city. We are Blades, after all.”

Asi snorted. “I’ve said it before, Zaren, but I’ll say it again. The city was quieter before you came.”

“I’m well aware,” I said.

And I didn’t think the recent events were all tied to me, though there were aspects in which I had obviously made a difference. Some of what I had been a part of left me with other questions about what else I might need to deal with. I had no idea if it was all tied to things that Waleith had set up, or if he had simply been better at neutralizing any threats that would have compromised the security of the city.

“Well, at least we have something to look forward to,” I said. “We can build the new training compound. Once we find candidates, we can start to figure out what instruction will look like.”

Asi laughed. “We? Oh, no. I’m not going to be a part of that.”

“You are the only other Blade that I know of. So I don’t think you have much choice.”

“I don’t like the way you say that,” she said. “I should have a choice in the matter. Besides, I’m a Blade. I get to choose what I do.”

“Right, but I am the Queen’s Blade, so I think that means I outrank you.”

She gave me a playful punch on the shoulder. “Only in your head, Zaren.”

I laughed. It was nice working with Asi. And I couldn’t help but think that if we were able to rebuild the Blades, to restore the order to what it had been before, we might have more rapport like this. And it might be nice to work with others of similar skill.

I didn’t just have to look for younger people.

There had to be others like me who had some potential, others who had not been identified before. But how was I going to do that?

I didn’t have a chance to really give much thought to it, because I began to feel a steady pulsation. It was in the direction of the city, but from outside the city, I was picking up on it in a very different way than I had when I was inside the city. The power was diffuse, sweeping away from me and toward the city.

“Tell me that you feel that?” I asked, looking over at Asi.

“I feel it,” she said. “And I’ve been telling you, Zaren, that I have been feeling something like that for quite a while. Nothing ever comes of it.”

“But it obviously has some source.”

“Well, I’m sure that it does, but the question is what, and what that means.”

“I’m going hunting,” I said. “Would you like to come with me?”

“I guess I will. Especially since this seems to be something I’ve left unresolved.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I knew about this power while you were out of the city. And I was trying to find the source of it, to figure out what was going on, but I never managed to do so. And because of that, I can’t help but feel as if I let myself—and you—down.”

“We don’t have to work alone,” I said.

That was the one concept that I had to get across to Asi, more than anything else. She had the mindset of the old Blades and believed that she had to work alone. But while she had taken on Investigators, and she was willing to work with me, she remained uncertain.

But I knew better. And I believed that she knew better as well.

“Let’s see what we can find,” I said.

“You should probably deal with him first.”

I looked over and saw Mr. Olinash had paused and was crouched down, as if surveying the landscape, to decide what things might look like once he began the prospect of building.

“Good idea.”

And I had some specific ideas that I needed to make sure he considered, because I wanted the compound to ensure the safety of any Blades that came here. Besides that, I wanted the compound to serve as a deterrent as well.

It had to have a dual purpose. Not only should it be reflective of the Blades, and the power that we would train, but it also had to serve as a deterrent. That might actually be the most beneficial part of it.

When another wave of power flowed outward, I hurried along and spoke to Mr. Olinash. Then I turned my attention back to the city and got ready for whatever might be out there.

Chapter Twelve

We had been circling the city, and we’d still not found anything. It was frustrating, but the power, when it came, was vague. It diminished quickly and trailed off to nothingness, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should have been able to identify it before now.

“Does it seem to be flowing in a particular direction?” I asked, looking over at Asi.

We had several Investigators following us now, as when we had returned to the city, they had noticed the two of us together, and they had seemingly decided that whatever was happening was a threat to the city and would possibly involve them. I had tried to tell them that there was nothing obvious and that they didn’t need to be concerned. Byron, at least, had ignored me, which I had been irritated by at first, but then he had reluctantly decided to tag along.

“It seems like there is a directionality to it,” Asi said. “I feel it, but it keeps moving, circling, and cycling.” She frowned. “You know, when I have felt something like this before, it didn’t have this much movement within it. This is new.”

That was my feeling as well. And when I had felt the power around the city, there had been a directionality to it, but it had not seemed migratory like this.

Its movement suggested it was changing, but the real question was what it was changing to, and why it was changing.

“It feels like there is some purpose to it,” I said. “Unless⁠—”

“It’s just testing defenses?”

“Why would you say that?”

Asi frowned and paused. We were near a darkened section of the city, on my side of the harbor, with buildings that were older and stood closer together. The alleyway was dim, but I had an arcane lantern in hand, which cast away the shadows. I didn’t want to overlook any fabrication producing the power that we were picking up on.

“There was a time,” Asi said, “before I came to Busal City, when I was stationed in Indar. I was a junior Blade.”

I frowned. “A junior?”

“Well, at that point, I wasn’t working on my own. I was still working with a mentor. That was part of how we did things then, Zaren.”

“I thought that all Blades worked independently,” I said.

At least, that was my understanding, and I had felt the isolation was a problem.

“It wasn’t working as a team, not the way that we are now,” she said. “This was still part of the mentorship. I had to prove that I was capable. And I had to prove it to my senior officer.”

“All right. So what did you find?”

“Well, we ran a job. We were in a port city, not that dissimilar to Busal City, and we were trying to ensure that shipments of dangerous magical items didn’t make it in.”

“Of course,” I said.

“But there, it wasn’t so much fabrications that we were worried about.”

“No?”

“Well, we were quite a bit farther from Ardem,” Asi went on, wrinkling her brow as she spoke. We neared the end of the alley, and she looked out along the street. A pair of constables patrolled nearby, and several others were just moving down the street. “So we didn’t have so many fabrications to be concerned about. That’s not to say that we didn’t have to worry about magic, but it just wasn’t fabricated magic.”

“You did say that you had experience with other kinds of powers.”

“I did. And I still remember how it felt.” She shook her head. “Those items were old.”

“How old?”

“Old in the way that the buildings here in Busal City feel old,” she said, turning to the building nearest us. She ran her hand along the stone and closed her eyes.

I thought I knew what she was doing, because it was the same thing that I had done when I had attempted to pick up on power inside the buildings. There was an obvious energy in the stone. It suggested that it had been empowered long ago, though neither of us understood what had been done to it.

Maybe that was something that I could look into, so that I could better understand the power in the city, defensive or otherwise.

“Most of the time, we dealt with various ancient artifacts. Some of them were dangerous, and others were more mysterious.” Asi shrugged. “I remember finding one item I didn’t really think much of at the time.”

“What was it?”

“It was a harp,” she said, turning. She held my gaze for a long moment, and as she did, I understood her concern, because it was a shared one.

“The Guild?”

“At the time, I didn’t know the Guild did anything like that, and I certainly didn’t know that they were involved in music. So I just thought that it was a strange item. We secured it, like we secured so many other items, and then my mentor destroyed it.”

“Destroyed it how?”

“Destroyed it by being a Blade, Zaren,” she said.

“How hard was it?”

Asi snorted. “What kind of question is that?”

“I just want to get a sense of how difficult it was for him to destroy the item. Because there must’ve been some resistance to it, right?”

“I suppose. He did say that it was a little taxing, though he never really talked to me about the difficulty that he had neutralizing certain items. That wasn’t the kind of thing that we often did.”

“Because he didn’t want to speak of weakness?”

“Because we didn’t want to admit that there were certain things that we could or could not do.” She shrugged again. “You have to understand what that’s like, Zaren.”

“I’m not sure that I do, but I understand there must’ve been a reason.”

“A reason,” she agreed. “There was a reason for it, at least at the time. Now I really don’t know if the reason for avoiding sharing information was actually a good one.” She laughed. “Can you imagine that? We spent all that time training ourselves at the compound, and then once we got out, we restricted what we shared with one another. It didn’t make any sense, but we were always taught that was just the way that things were done.”

“I understand,” I said. “In the army, it was not that dissimilar. There were always things that were done in a certain way, simply because it was the way things were always done. Not because it was the right way to do them.”

“I think that’s what has been refreshing about you,” she said. “And frustrating, to be honest.”

“Frustrating?”

“Because it goes against everything I was taught. It goes against the isolation, and it goes against the independence.” She shrugged. “But I’m not going to disagree with you that we have to do it this way, because your way has been helpful in understanding what we can do, and more than that, what we can truly be.”

Another wave of power swept outward, and this one felt closer. Maybe it was just the fact that we were standing side by side, or maybe it was the fact that several Investigators were behind us, and they had fabrications that would allow them to detect this power, or maybe it was just luck. Whatever it was, I felt it differently. It tugged on something deep inside me and pulled on me.

“Did you feel it differently this time?” I asked Asi.

She was quiet for a few moments. “I felt… I don’t even know what I felt. It was strange.”

“I felt power tugging on me,” I said. “And it was drawing me forward. But it’s not that far from here.”

“So you think that the source, whoever is responsible for it, is somewhere nearby?”

“I don’t know.”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that this had to be tied to the protesters, at least in some way. I wasn’t sure they were dangerous, though, and so as I moved through the street, I swept my gaze from side to side before glancing back at Byron.

“Can you set up a ring of fabrications? I want to use a series of detection rings, and I want them to cover… let’s say three blocks.”

“Sure,” Byron said. “Anything we should be concerned about?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “Something is drawing me.”

He nodded, which wasn’t surprising, as Byron always tended to understand the significance of a situation quickly. He glanced at another Investigator, Rosith, and then they set off.

“Should we just stay here?” Asi asked. “Let them do their job?”

“I don’t want to just stand still,” I said. “In fact, I think that if we were to just stay in place, whatever is out there might get ahead of us. And I can’t help but feel it’s focused on me.”

“Not this,” Asi said. “This wasn’t at all tied to your return. Well, the protests were, but this power wasn’t tied to it. I was picking up on this while you were gone.”

She was right, and if that was the case, then I wasn’t necessarily the target. If it wasn’t me, then could it be her?

“Has it been following you?” I asked.

“Following me? I’ve been following it, trying to track down the source, but failing. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.”

“So much for that idea, then,” I muttered.

“Wait. Are you saying that I might have been the target?”

“It was just an idea,” I said.

“I’ve never been notable. Most of my assignments have been typical for Blades.”

“I’m not saying that you have been targeted. I’m just saying that it’s possible. It’s possible that any of us have.”

And the fact that this had started while I had been gone was reason enough to believe that it wasn’t just me. Or maybe there was something else—more than one threat.

“There,” I said, pointing up ahead. “I can feel it.”

We hurried forward.

When we reached that point on the street, I froze. I could still feel it. There was that wave of power, a flowing of energy, and though I could pick up on it, I couldn’t identify the source of it. There didn’t seem to be any direction to it.

Crouching down, I put my hand on the ground, and I felt a faint trembling.

“It’s beneath us?” Asi asked.

“Seems to be,” I said.

“How are we going to dig that out?”

“That’s really not what we need to be concerned about.”

“What, then?”

“How they managed to get beneath us.”

And given the tunnels throughout the palace grounds, this could well be the same thing.

But if that was the case, then who else knew about them?

Chapter Thirteen

Ifinally reached Dorian late the following day. I had been trying to find him to talk about what I had experienced with the protesters, but he had been absent in his own Dorian way. But now I had managed to catch him, so I was going to take the opportunity to try to figure out what else he might know.

Dorian was moving through the palace and looked to be somewhat impatient as I pushed past the pair of Empyreans following him.

“What now, Mr. Joha?”

“I have a few things I’d like to talk to you about,” I said. “And I was hoping that I could do so privately.”

“I am quite busy, as you can see by how quickly I’m walking,” he said, casting me a dry look.

“Obviously,” I said. “But I still want to know if we can talk.”

“What does this have to do with?”

“The protests. Other potential threats in the city. You know, the usual.”

“Well, perhaps you should deal with those issues, and then you can report back what you have been doing. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like I’m not going to have any of your assistance.”

“And I believe that you need very little of my assistance.”

I was quiet for a few moments. “Something’s happening in the city, and I don’t know what it is. I don’t know whether it’s going to be dangerous, but I do need some guidance here.”

He let out an exasperated sigh. “Does this have to do with the fact that I have been taking your apprentice away from you? Because she is quite the student.”

I had really not had much time with Ellie since we had been back, but given what was taking place in the city, it might not be the worst thing in the world for her to be spending her time with Dorian rather than worrying about me.

“Not this time, though I would like to talk with you about that at some point.”

“Then we can meet another time. I am quite busy⁠—”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sure you’re quite busy. Maybe you can help me find the answer on my own. I don’t suppose you have an idea about where to find a map of the city?”

Dorian stopped then and turned. “How long have you been in the city?”

“Several months now,” I said.

“And now you need a map?” He frowned.

“It’s not about finding my way around,” I said.

I didn’t want to tell him what I was looking into, not here, but he needed to have a better idea about it, because it might help him to realize the danger. Then again, this was Dorian, and the more he was aware of, the more likely he would feel invested.

“It has something to do with the topic you don’t want to talk about.”

He was quiet for a few moments. “Yes, well, I suppose I can make time for that, but like I said, tomorrow.”

“Is there any way that I might find a city plan?”

I wasn’t going to let this go, not until I had an answer.

“You really can be maddening, Mr. Joha. The archives might provide you with some resource, but if you’re looking for something a little more obscure, I doubt the archives will be of much use to you. If you really need to know something, I can direct you to the royal historian.”

I frowned. “Why the historian?”

“This city is quite old, Mr. Joha, as you are well aware. And it has been here for far longer than we have. But then, maybe you haven’t been able to identify that. I don’t know how observant you are.”

“Where can I find the royal historian?”

“You are so maddening,” Dorian said. “In the royal archive, of course.”

“I thought you just said that the archives wouldn’t be of much use.”

“The archives won’t be, but the royal historian might be. Now, if that is all?”

“Other than what time we are going to meet tomorrow.”

“I am free at noon.”

He strode off.

It took me a little while to find the royal archive. Since Hobell, and those who served him, were no longer in the palace, it did make getting directions more difficult.

The archive was situated behind the palace proper. It was a small, squat building, and I was a little surprised that it was the location of the archive, as I would have expected the Queen to keep records like that in the palace itself. But as I approached, I began to pick up on a distinct sense of energy, a power that radiated from the archive, and it had a protective nature to it.

I paused a moment, making my way around the outside of the building, curiosity getting the better of me. There was something unique about it, something impressive in the power, and I wanted to have a better idea about the source of that power. I couldn’t find any fabrications, nor could I find the key to what was powered within it. I tested what I could feel about this building.

It brought me back to when I had first visited the palace. I had always felt the power of the palace, an underlying energy that suggested the age and potency of the building itself. There was some connection that I did not fully understand, but I needed to try to understand it so that I could know how the palace had its power.

But this didn’t strike me as quite the same.

For one, the building itself looked different. The palace was all ornate arches and stained glass, and it was filled with other carvings, inscribed letters, and distinct touches that were obviously different from this. This building was stout, compact, and it carried with it something that struck me as older.

And the idea that this was an older place, with an older power, was interesting.

I knew very little about the city itself. I knew very little about the founders of the city. I knew that there were connections between various buildings on the grounds of the palace, but beyond that, there was quite a bit that I did not know.

I may have been mistaken in not trying to research the city. I had been learning about other types of magic, training with Matherin so that I could understand fabrications, but learning the history of the city was something that I had not taken the time to do.

As I continued around the archive, I realized how ridiculous I must look. I nodded to a pair of Empyreans on patrol, avoiding their gazes, not wanting them to question what I was doing here, though honestly, they had plenty of reason to do so. Still, I didn’t feel anything. Finally I moved toward the door and tested it but found it locked.

Strange, but maybe it shouldn’t be terribly surprising, because a place like this would likely need security. I had a way of opening it, I suspected. With my blade, I could get through most locks. But rather than forcing my way in, I decided to knock.

There was a massive brass knocker on the door, and I used that. I waited for a moment, but there was no sign of anyone on the other side. Only then did I draw my shorter blade, the one that Waleith had given me, and I used it in the lock.

Much like other locks I had used my blade in, it popped open.

It had been my experience that most locks failed to my blade, whether it deactivated some natural magic within the locks or whether something about me permitted it. Either way, the door opened.

The air inside was a little dusty and musty. There was a bit of lantern light—probably from an arcane lantern, from the pale glow—but not much.

I stepped inside. “Hello?”

My voice sounded muted and dim.

As I moved farther inside, I continued to sweep my gaze from side to side and noticed that there was another set of doors not far from the entrance. It was as if this was some sort of antechamber, leading to something else. As I closed the door behind me, I felt the weight of the door, and the weight of something else, as it sealed closed.

All around was an unsettling quiet.

It took me a moment to realize what that was.

Magical quiet.

I had been in the city for so long, and been surrounded by power for so long, that I had grown accustomed to feeling the presence of power around me at all times. Now that the door was closed, and I was inside the archive, a sense of calm and emptiness came over me.

I had never experienced anything quite like this before, but perhaps there was a reason for it here, something that I could come to learn.

And yet I didn’t want to test anything more than I already had, because there was a very real possibility that if I were to test the magic here, I would damage what was working well.

I reached the next set of doors and paused. These were wide double doors, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try to power through them. For that matter, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to. Running my hand along the surface, I searched for a place to insert my blade but couldn’t find anything. There was some resistance pushing against me, but it didn’t seem to be a fabrication.

As I lingered, however, the door cracked open.

And the face that poked out was not what I expected at all.

It belonged to a tall, slender woman with raven hair and thin lips. Her eyes were dark pools, and she regarded me with an air of suspicion. “We are not expecting any deliveries today,” she said, her words slightly clipped and lightly accented.

“Deliveries?” I asked, feeling a little ridiculous.

“Yes. Do you have a delivery? If you do, I suppose I could take it, but I was not expecting anything today. Usually I have word sent to me ahead of time. And what are you doing in here?”

I blinked. “I’m not here with a delivery. I’m here because I serve the Queen.”

“I gathered that,” she said, flicking her gaze to my lapel, where the pin was. “Otherwise, you would not have been able to enter this space.”

“Oh?”

More curiosity for me, and more questions about why that might be, how that was even possible. I wondered about what technique that would require. Fabrications, undoubtedly, but what kind of fabrication would allow a filtering of people?

“Who are you?” she asked. She still had not fully opened the door and was just standing there.

“My name is Zaren Joha, and I am the Queen’s Blade. I was advised that I could come here to have some questions about the city answered.”

“The Queen’s Blade?” she said, frowning.

“I serve the Queen, and I remove any magical⁠—”

“I am well aware of how you serve, Mr. Joha,” she said. “I was just surprised to see you here.” She took a deep breath, sweeping her gaze around. Then she opened the door. “Well, you may as well come on inside. I’m going to have to redo all the protections anyway.”

Chapter Fourteen

Istepped in after her, and as soon as I did, the magical muting was gone. Now there was a tingling, vibrational sense that worked over my skin. I had never encountered a magic like this. It was not from fabrications. It didn’t remind me of Talina’s magic, and it certainly was not like Garridan’s.

The archive was unlike the antechamber. Light glowed with a soft energy, almost like daylight, as if the sun shone down through shafts overhead, but I didn’t see any windows or openings. We headed down a series of stairs and into the archive proper, which consisted of thousands upon thousands of books packing hundreds of shelves. I wasn’t much of a reader and doubted I would ever be excited by much here, but I could appreciate the pains taken in accumulating this number of volumes.

“I’m sorry,” I said to the woman as she strode ahead of me. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I am Milendra Inadalar.”

“And you are the royal historian?”

“No,” she said.

“Prince Dorian suggested that I meet with the Queen’s historian, because I had some questions about the city.”

She paused, turning to me, hands clasped behind her. “Did he, now?”

“Are you saying that I shouldn’t speak with the royal historian?”

“I’m saying that I am surprised the Prince suggested him to you. While I am perfectly content to ask Norind to speak with you, I’m not sure he will have much to say.” She shrugged, just a slight shake of her shoulders. “But if you would like, I could ask him to attend to you.”

Something about this woman was quite intriguing. It was surprising that the Queen had somebody like this in her service. This was somebody who spoke openly of power and of replacing magical protections.

“So are you one of the archivists?” I asked.

“One of them?” Her expression soured, and she cocked her head to the side, seemingly considering me for a long moment before she shook her head. “No. Not one of the archivists. I am the only one. At least, the only one that matters.”

“So you take care of all of this?”

“I catalog the knowledge stored here, but it is not mine,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” I said, realizing I must have offended her in some way. “I really just needed some information about the city, about the buildings within it.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I am researching a potential threat in the city,” I said.

She paused in the center of the archive, or at least what I suspected was the center of the archive. The flooring created concentric rings, which were at odds with the square walls. And with each ring that we passed, I felt a concentration of energy. At the center, however, I began to feel the power pushing on me, but I wasn’t sure if it was dangerous. I wondered what influence Milendra might have on it, and I was quite curious.

My hand never strayed very far from my sword.

Not that I thought that I was in any danger in a building that belonged to the Crown, but I had found dangers in places that they shouldn’t have been before, and I was not going to be caught unawares.

“You look tense, Mr. Joha,” Milendra said.

“You can call me Zaren,” I said.

“If you prefer.”

“I am a little tense,” I said. “There is a lot of power around us.” I might as well admit what I was picking up on. I had no idea what she might do with that knowledge.

“Of course there is,” she said.

“You don’t deny it?”

“Why should I deny it? The power is designed to protect the volumes here. There is no reason for it to be otherwise.”

“I see. So you aren’t concerned about it?”

“Of course not,” she said. “What are you concerned about?”

“You said something about having to replace the protections. I suppose I am responsible for that.”

She smiled tightly. “Interesting deduction, but a fallacy.”

Milendra had an odd way about her, and yet I found myself relaxing. I didn’t believe she was a threat. But I wanted to be ready anyway.

“Can you tell me anything about Busal City?”

“I can tell you many things about Busal City, but it would be helpful to have a better idea of what, in particular, you are inquiring about.”

“A subterranean level,” I said.

I wasn’t sure how to describe it to her, and I wasn’t sure what reaction she might have to the request.

“A subterranean level. I am curious what you mean by that.”

“Well, it’s been my experience that there are tunnels beneath the city. And I’m trying to ascertain whether you know about them.”

“Well, I suppose that you wouldn’t be mistaken in your experience, especially considering the age of the city. It is an ancient place, and it is a place that allows power to build. But then again, that is not uncommon of structures built by the Inarak.”

“Inarak?”

I knew very little about the ancient people, but I had heard stories of them. The Inarak had once been spread all throughout these lands, but they had long ago retreated. They had left buildings behind, now ruins, and stories had spread about them, about the kind of power that they had supposedly once possessed, power lent to them by the fae. If this was an Inarak city, and if the stories about them were true, that might explain some of the powers that I detected here.

“Many Inarak settlements can be found around the world. This is but one, and yet it is one of the most intact settlements, at least in meaningful ways.” Milendra motioned for me to follow.

She wandered around several shelves, pulling out a book and then tucking it under her arm, before moving and selecting another book, and doing the same, tucking it under her arm, and on she continued. “The Inarak settlements have mostly been lost to time. For the most part, they have been destroyed, unfortunately. One can only imagine what we might have found if such settlements had remained intact. I can only imagine the knowledge they had. But unfortunately, that has been lost to us. And there is no way to pull it back, although some would argue that the Inarak are not truly gone.” She paused, grabbing another book.

“I thought the Inarak were destroyed.”

According to the stories I’d heard as a child about the Inarak, which were not many, they had served the fae, but stories were not something that I put much stock in.

“The people were mostly scattered. ‘Destroyed’ might be a bit extreme, as I do not believe that they were completely annihilated. But the reason behind their service was scattered.”

Milendra reached a darker section of the archives, where the shelves ended. She stretched forward and tapped on the wall. It surprised me by sliding back.

I hadn’t even seen a door or felt any magic, but I suspected either a hidden catch or a magic that I wasn’t aware of.

“You can come with me, if you would like,” Milendra said.

I drew my shorter blade as I followed.

The door closed behind us, plunging us into darkness.

Impossible darkness.

I braced for an attack. But Milendra simply ignited an arcane lantern. A pale blue light began to glow.

“I am sorry about that,” she said. “I forget that some people need the light.”

“Some people?” I asked. The way that she’d said this sounded a little odd to him, as if she were just realizing that he might need such a thing. “Are you saying that you don’t need to see?”

“I have been through here enough times that the dark is not at all alarming to me, as it would be to somebody like yourself.”

Milendra moved forward to another set of stairs, this one leading deeper into the ground. At this point I didn’t know how far beneath the city we were, but it was a significant distance. When the stairs ended, the passageway opened into a long tunnel.

“This connects to the other tunnels?” I said.

She nodded. “I presume this is what you are asking about.”

“I’m aware of the other tunnels,” I said.

“Most of the buildings in this part of the city are interconnected. It is useful when one wants to maneuver unseen.”

“And dangerous,” I said.

She arched a brow at me. “Dangerous?”

“Depending upon who maneuvers through them.”

“Oh. I suppose that would be true enough. And I do believe that you were involved in the recent events, weren’t you?”

“I was,” I said.

Given her odd nature, I was curious about what understanding Milendra had about what had been taking place in the palace.

Had Hobell known about her? Or had he placed her here?

Not that I expected Hobell to be concerned about the archives. Surely it wasn’t the kind of place that he would have been interested in, unless he was concerned about the connections between some of these tunnels.

I didn’t know enough about him or what he had been planning. I still had to find out where he had gone, and where the others had disappeared to.

I didn’t know how deep the betrayal had gone. I didn’t know the reason behind Hobell’s betrayal. Nor did I know what more he might try to do.

“Mr. Joha?”

“Zaren,” I said.

“Yes, well, if you would like me to escort you along the tunnels, I can speak to you of the Inarak structure behind them.”

“All these are Inarak?”

“I thought you understood that. I’m sorry, Mr. Joha, but if you are having difficulty in understanding some common concepts, I doubt I can share much with you that will be of benefit.”

I started to smile and realized that might be a mistake. She was being serious.

“I can handle some common concepts,” I said. “I’m looking for something else, though. Do any of these passageways lead outside the palace grounds?”

“It is possible, but this is the most intact part of the Inarak remains. Unfortunately, much has been lost over time, though if you ask some, they would tell you that it is not a problem.” She shook her head. “However, I do believe that some of these tunnels do extend beyond the palace grounds.” She paused at an intersection.

I hadn’t spent that much time wandering the tunnels, certainly not enough to navigate them proficiently. Yet as I turned, I was able to pick up Milendra’s energy, and I could feel some of what she was doing, even if I didn’t know quite what it was.

“Straight ahead you will find your way to the palace,” she said. “I believe you can tell that much.”

I picked up on a different trace of power. It had changed the moment that we had come down here, and though I hadn’t been paying that much attention to it, I probably should have been.

“I can tell that the palace is up ahead. I can tell that Matherin’s workshop is off to the right, and…” I frowned. “I’m not sure what is off to the left.”

“Matherin?” she asked.

“He’s the Queen’s fabricator.”

“Yes,” she said, somewhat hesitantly. “Well, you could get to him this way, I suppose. And to the left is a series of buildings that have long since been destroyed.”

“There were other buildings like this?”

“As I said, this is a place of ancient power, and much of it has been lost.”

“Where does it end?”

“These passageways?”

I nodded. “You said some of them extend beyond the palace grounds, but not all.”

“They do not all. Most, in fact, end abruptly. One can only imagine that they end where the old Inarak buildings once were, but most of those buildings were destroyed. They have been built over, much like much of the city has been built over.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You understand the concept of construction, do you not, Mr. Joha?”

“Yes, I understand construction quite well.”

“Oh? Were you involved in construction at one point in your career?”

“I worked on a farm,” I said.

“I didn’t realize farming and construction were synonymous.”

“They are not,” I said. “But when you work on a farm, you find yourself doing all sorts of tasks.”

Milendra was quiet for a moment. “Interesting. I will have to keep that in mind. But yes, construction has occurred over the Inarak ruins. The palace itself is built above the ruins. Only the core aspect of the palace remains, and what is there is not reflective of what the Inarak structures once looked like.”

“Not like the archive,” I said.

“No,” she said. “The archive is reflective of what the Inarak structures once would’ve been like. It has taken quite a bit of time and maintenance to ensure that it remains intact, but thankfully, we have managed to ensure the structural integrity.”

“Is that what you have to do when you place whatever protections you have to place?”

Milendra was quiet for a few moments, but then she turned and headed back the way that we had come. “If you’d like a map of these passageways, I could certainly see what I could find. There are several volumes that depict Inarak structures.”

“It would be helpful for me to know what the city looked like before.”

“Before the Queen and her family occupied it?”

“No,” I said, thinking through it. “It would be helpful for me to know what it was like when the Inarak were here.”

“You realize that you are talking about a thousand or more years ago.”

“Undoubtedly,” I said. “Is that something that you could find?”

We reached the stairs again, and Milendra ascended them carefully, but she paused at the top. “I might be able to find something along those lines, but it will be difficult, and it is not guaranteed to be of much use to you, Mr. Joha.”

“Anything would be helpful,” I said.

“Very well.”

We stepped back into the archive, and Milendra walked me toward the door. I kept thinking that she was going to stop and grab a book to show me something, but no. None of that. Instead, she just took me to the door, guided me through it, and then closed it behind me.

When I was in the antechamber once again, I felt that peculiar lack of magical energy. I wondered about the purpose of that here. And I wondered about what Milendra was doing in the archive. Something about her struck me as odd, but it was more than just her that was odd.

Chapter Fifteen

“Have you ever met the archivist?”

I sat in Jamie’s office, my feet up on a stool, leaning back in my chair, my eyes closed. I knew I needed to be doing other things, but it was nice to visit with a friend, especially now that he wasn’t as preoccupied by the Queen’s health.

Jamie gave me a slight nudge and handed me a steaming mug of tea. “The archivist? You didn’t strike me as much of a reader, Zaren.”

“I’m not, really,” I admitted. “But I have been looking for something.” I explained what I had found as Asi and I had been wandering in the city on our quest to find the source of the fluctuating power. “So I was starting to wonder if there was another series of passageways hiding in the city, which we haven’t been able to find.”

“It’s possible,” Jamie said, taking a seat across from me. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “It’s an old city.”

“I gathered that much,” I said.

“No, I mean that it’s an old city. You can see it in certain districts. Some places are older than others.”

“You mean more run-down.”

He snorted. “Run-down? No. I’m talking about ancient. Some of the buildings here predate the kingdom. Some of them come from when Busal was just a small part of a larger empire.”

“And some of them are Inarak,” I said.

Jamie was quiet for a moment. “Really?”

“Apparently. I gathered that when I was talking to the archivist, and she made it seem as if that was common knowledge.”

“That’s remarkable,” Jamie said.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. How much have you traveled outside Busal?”

“By land or by sea?”

“By land,” he said.

“Not a lot. I’ve told you what I did. I grew up on my farm, went off to serve in the army, but the army was mostly stationed inside our borders. Well, I did travel by ship a few times to handle some conflicts abroad, but we didn’t spend a lot of time in those places after they were dealt with.”

Jamie took a deep breath. “When I was younger, I liked to wander. It’s the explorer in me, I suppose. It’s how I learned some of my techniques.” He smiled. “I loved those days. One caravan that I traveled with for a while had one of the most distinguished healers in recent history traveling with it. I met the caravan in a city called Nafil and had no intention of traveling with it, but when I saw Genevieve with it, I felt I had no choice in the matter. It was a remarkable two months. I learned more in that time than I had in the year prior.”

“From just one healer?” I asked. I opened one eye to peer at Jamie. He sounded wistful.

And I understood that. It was easy enough to think back on what we had been and think about those days with a sense of happiness and forget about just how difficult times had been. When I thought about my days in the army, I felt a longing, but then I remembered what it had been like dealing with it from day to day, how hard it had been on me.

“One healer,” Jamie said. “One distinguished, remarkable healer. And I think that had I had a chance to stay with her longer, I would have learned even more. But she was staying with the caravan, and I didn’t want to keep going with it.”

“With the caravan?” I said. “Why not?”

“That caravan was unique. It was a place of protection. There were dancers and storytellers with the caravan when I was traveling, so in between working with Genevieve and serving—everybody had to do something to serve—I was constantly entertained. I could almost imagine staying with the caravan.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Nobody stayed. Well, that’s not true. Some did, but most people were there transient.”

“And Genevieve?”

“She was there for a little while, but I don’t know how much longer she was there. The last I heard, she had taken up a position in Bastiin.” He smiled to himself. “I haven’t given much thought to that in quite some time.”

“Interesting,” I said. “What does this have to do with the Inarak?”

“Oh. Right. Well, what I was saying was maybe you need to see more of the world.”

“As if I’m going to have the time to do that.”

“I suppose not. Especially now that you are destined to be the Queen’s adviser,” Jamie said, arching a brow at me and laughing lightly. “Has she spoken to you more about that?”

“I haven’t gone to see her.”

“You’re going to upset her,” he said.

“I doubt that. I’ll just tell her that I’ve been dealing with protesters.”

“And have you been?”

“Unfortunately,” I said. “But I am also dealing with a new magic in Busal City, and I’m not sure how dangerous that’s going to be.”

“Which is why you’re looking for these underground passages.”

“There’s power here,” I said.

Jamie laughed. “There’s always something with you, Zaren.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It just means that there’s always something with you. And it makes me wonder what Waleith was up to.”

“Maybe his presence here, and what he did, set the stage for all of this.”

“I suppose that could be true.” Jamie sighed. “Well, I appreciate the conversation, but I have an unavoidable meeting now. Unfortunately, now that the Queen is well, more of my time is free, and apparently, I am to establish a series of clinics all throughout the city.”

“I see. She has you working to expand what you’re doing as well.”

“The Queen wants to take advantage of my knowledge, and she wants me to begin training replacements.”

“I get the feeling that is what I’m supposed to be doing as well.”

“Training your replacement?”

“No,” I replied. “I’ve been doing that. At least, I’ve been doing something like that. However, I don’t know if Ellie will be my replacement, or if Prince Dorian will decide to take her on.”

“Has he still been keeping her?”

“He has. Why?”

“I don’t mean it like that,” Jamie said, “that he’s doing something inappropriate with her.”

“I should hope not,” I said. And if he was, I hoped that Ellie would be confident enough to share it with me, because I didn’t want anything to happen to her. I still owed her that much, at least.

“It’s just strange to me. I wonder what reason he has for wanting his own personal Blade.”

“I think that he’s seen what I’ve done, and maybe he’s decided that he wants to have that for himself.”

“Then why not just bring on a fully trained Blade?”

“There’s only one other,” I said.

Or maybe there were more, though we hadn’t seen any evidence of any other Blades since Waleith’s capture. Asi had put out word for Blades to report in to Busal City, but so far, we hadn’t had any word from them. I kept waiting, thinking that there would be some others, but I suspected that any remaining Blades might think that it was a trap.

“One other here,” Jamie said, as if reflecting my thoughts. “And couldn’t Prince Dorian, if he wanted to, ask that Blade to serve him?”

“He absolutely could, but Asi doesn’t care much for the palace.”

“I wonder why that is.”

“She’s got her reasons,” I said.

“We all do,” he said. “Enjoy your tea, but I’m going to have to go for my meeting.” He shrugged. “Unless you want to come with me.”

“I have things I need to be doing as well. I just wanted to take a moment to sit and talk with a friend.”

Jamie smiled. “It is nice,” he said. “Talking, that is. I haven’t done a lot of that over the last few years. Haven’t had the time, really. I’ve been spending so much of my time, and mental energy, struggling to help the Queen, and now that she seems to be on the mend, I’m less concerned about her and starting to think about what else I might do. Isn’t that strange? I’m at this point in my career where I am now starting to think about what else I could do with my time, how best to use it, and I don’t have a good answer.”

“I think that means that you have an opportunity.”

“Or it’s just a lull in the storm,” he said, smiling ruefully. “That’s been my experience, after all. I often think that things are getting better, and then they all start to fall apart again.”

“Of course they do,” I said. “Because that’s the way that things go.”

I finished the tea in one long swallow and was surprised that I felt refreshed. I wondered what Jamie had put in it. Probably some medicinal herbs to help me feel better. And I wasn’t even upset that he hadn’t told me, because they had helped. I didn’t think that Jamie would poison me, as he was one of the people I trusted in the city.

I followed Jamie out of his office to find Empyreans patrolling the palace grounds. After saying goodbye to Jamie, I made my way around the grounds. I found myself curious about the Empyreans, about what they intended to accomplish with their increased patrols. I didn’t think that I could discover anything, but then again, having traveled with some of them and gotten to know them, I had a very different attitude toward them.

I counted how many Empyreans patrolled the grounds. I got to twenty and started seeing duplicate patrols, so that had to be all there were. Still, twenty soldiers on the grounds of the palace was more that I would have expected.

What reason would there be for so many?

Dorian had his reasons, and maybe it was just his concern about Hobell and any additional danger.

That was an issue that I had not pursued nearly as much as I needed to, and now that I thought about it, I realized that I needed to deal with it. Until I did, I couldn’t ensure the safety of the palace, something that I, as the Blade, still had to do.

At least now I had a lead.

And so I set off, heading to the constable station to talk to Harent.

Chapter Sixteen

“We haven’t seen any sign of him,” Harent said, looking up from his desk as I sat across from him. Irritation glimmered in his eyes, perhaps because he did not appreciate this distraction from his work.

“There’s been no sign of anything?”

Harent shook his head. “Here’s the deal, Joha. We have been watching for anybody who doesn’t really belong in the city. The Empyreans wanted us to do that, but so too did the palace. Didn’t even need the request, though, as considering what we’ve been through and what you’ve been telling me, we were already on high alert.”

“And you haven’t found anything?”

“Nothing actionable. They just disappeared. Care to tell me what this is about? Because it seems this is about more than just finding Hobell.”

“I’m just trying to understand what is going on, whether Hobell and his coconspirators might attempt another attack.”

Harent snorted. “Doubt they would have much success. Not with such a heavy Empyrean presence, and not with us being on patrol as well.”

“But that’s assuming that you could even recognize them.”

He nodded. “Assuming that, but at least now we are on alert, and we are investigating people from that part of the world.”

That gave me pause. “What do you mean, that part of the world?”

Harent just shrugged. “Well, you must have known that Hobell was from Kurisan.”

“Actually, I didn’t.”

Harent laughed. “Of course you didn’t. You don’t really see the different cultures.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You didn’t notice anything unusual about Waleith, either.”

“I was here as a trainee with Waleith, so⁠—”

“That doesn’t mean that you didn’t need to keep an eye on what was happening, to be wary of what he might try, but then again, I can understand that might have been difficult for you, considering how he manipulated you.”

I was quiet for a few moments. “Is there anything else going on in the city?”

“We’ve been through this, Joha, and you don’t need to be involved in anything.”

“It just feels… unsettled.”

“That’s because it is unsettled, Joha. With the protests in the city, that’s exactly what it is.” He looked down at his desk. “And unfortunately, I don’t really have the time to handle all of it, nor do I have the time to help you. We have enough going on that I have to focus on.”

“If you need my help with anything, let me know.”

“If I need your help, I’ll have to resign.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Harent snorted. “If I need your help, I will have lost my ability to handle things. I have been struggling enough as it is, but I don’t want to have to ask for help.”

I had gone through something similar myself. But then again, I had come to see the advantage in asking for help, because it allowed me, us, to handle many more threats than I would have been able to handle otherwise.

“Don’t worry,” Harent said. “I’m not excluding you, and I’m not excluding the Investigators. We need to work well together. But instead of coming in here and harassing me, maybe you need to get back to your training.”

“My training?” I asked.

“You know,” he said, and he nodded to my sword. “Training.”

I snorted. “Did Lijanna tell you to say that?”

“She didn’t need to. She said that you just stopped working with her. And after all I went through to get you set up with her.”

“I didn’t realize that you’d done all that much. I thought she just agreed to work with me.”

“Oh, she did, but I had to prod her, and you can’t just abandon your training.”

Harent was right. My training with Lijanna had been offering me a means of defense to complement my magical defenses. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had been neglecting my physical training. Waleith had not been able to provide certain basics in my education, and now that I was at least somewhat stable in my position, I had an opportunity to dedicate real time to discovering what Waleith had done, and what I might need to do.

Some of that was straightforward. I could try to learn more about the various types of magic. I had started that process with Matherin, as he had trained me and Asi on the fundamentals of fabrications. That knowledge had proven useful, and I had grown in my capacity to handle fabrications.

But that wasn’t the only kind of magic.

“I don’t like when you sit there like that,” Harent said, looking down at his papers. “You are thinking. That makes me feel nervous. If it’s about the protesters, we have been dealing with them.”

“I know,” I said.

“Good. Because I need to get out of the office more. Do you know how irritated my family is by how much time I’ve been spending here?” He rested his arms on the desk, and he finally looked up at me.

And with that, I realized another thing I’d neglected. “You don’t talk about them very much.”

“Not because I’m trying to keep anything from you, Joha.”

“Any kids?”

“Two,” he said. “And they’re a handful, but I wouldn’t change a thing. That’s why I left the navy, you know.”

“I didn’t,” I said.

I felt like a poor friend for not having asked about Harent’s family, because he had been a kind friend to me. This was the kind of thing one should know about friends. Considering how long we had now worked together, shouldn’t I view him as a friend? In reality, I had seen him as a friend even before I had come to work with him, at least a casual sort of friend. My problem was that I wasn’t good at making friends.

“Yes, well, my wife decided that it was time for us to settle down. She was from Busal City and wanted to come back here. This wouldn’t have been my choice. If it were up to me, I would have settled in a quiet coastal town, probably done some fishing, or maybe ship repair.” Harent frowned and stared off into the distance before looking back at the map that was hanging on the wall behind him. “Of course, I don’t know if I would’ve been fulfilled by any of that. I got here and got caught up in trying to find a job, and you know how it goes.”

“Actually, I’m not sure how it does go,” I said.

“Hard to find employment,” Harent said. “At least, it was hard when I first got out of the navy. I got pulled into the constables because I didn’t have much choice in the matter. And you serve long enough, and you draw enough attention to yourself, then you rise up the ranks.” He snorted. “Helped that I had the military experience, and the rank. It allowed people to see me as the captain before I really had the necessary tenure as a constable. I still don’t know why they were so willing to take me on.”

“Because you do a good job,” a voice said from the door.

I glanced over to see Lijanna framed in the doorway.

“I don’t let anybody tell you otherwise, if that’s what’s happening here,” she continued. “Because I don’t want to have to get into some pissing match about who does what, what kind of work you’re involved in, but just know that you are the best commander that the constables have had in quite a while.”

“You haven’t been with the constables that long,” Harent muttered, looking down at his reports. “You can’t really make that claim.”

“I’ve been with the constables long enough. And I’ve talked to some of the old-timers. They know.” She looked over at me. “You know how it is with old-timers. They love to reminisce. And most of the time, it was better back in their day. And maybe it was, but there’s one opinion that they are consistent about, and that’s that it wasn’t better in their day when it came to their commander.”

“Right,” Harent said. “But I’m not going to be serving in this role forever.”

“I hope you don’t leave anytime soon,” I said.

“Don’t know,” he said. “Like you said, I’m getting tired of sitting behind the desk and missing family events. That’s the same issue that I had when I was with the navy.”

“At least you’re in the same city as your family now,” Lijanna said.

“For now,” he said. “And maybe there will come a time when I need somebody else.” He looked up at her. “Besides, I have enough people who have been well trained and could handle such responsibilities, if they were only willing to take them on.”

Lijanna held her hands up. “Oh, no. I’m not looking to take over your role, Harent. I’m perfectly content following your orders.”

“Not only my orders,” Harent said.

She shrugged at me and smiled. “Can’t say I want to follow anybody else’s orders.”

“Why don’t you take Joha out of here? He’s trying to clear his head, and I’ve been telling him that he needs to work on his fighting technique.”

She shrugged. “What do you say, Zaren? Ready to spar?”

“I am not sure that I am,” I said. “It feels like I need to be doing something else.”

“It always feels that way—at least, if you’re doing a good job. And the challenge is making time for the other things that you need to do, and making time for yourself. Otherwise, the job becomes all-consuming.” She pointed a thumb in Harent’s direction. “That’s what he’s struggling with.”

“I don’t know how to do it any other way,” he muttered.

“You delegate,” she said. “Honestly, Harent. Haven’t we told you that?”

“Have you? Maybe I’ve forgotten.”

Lijanna snorted. “Only you would forget something like that.”

Harent waved a hand. “Get out of here. I need to finish up this paper, and I have to get a report up to the palace.” He glanced in my direction. “That’s something that’s changed since you’ve been here. Before you, I never had to send regular reports to the palace, and now I have to do so once a week. And they have to be detailed reports. They can’t just be quick summaries.” He snorted, shaking his head. “Not sure how I feel about the palace wanting to have such a hand in everything, but then, I also like the idea that the palace is actually concerned about what we’ve been finding.”

“I think it’s a way of coordinating everything,” I said.

“Hope so. Are you getting them?”

“How long have you been doing it?”

“Basically since the attack.”

“Well, seeing as I’ve been out of the city since then, I haven’t.”

“Maybe I should send copies to you.”

“That wouldn’t be terrible. And you’ve given me an idea. You want to alleviate some of the burden, to ensure that you don’t have to work so hard, so why don’t I have my Investigators send reports your way once a week? Or more if you want that.”

Harent shared a look with Lijanna. And then he nodded. “It would be helpful for us to know what you’re involved in.”

“And if we don’t find anything, or if it’s mostly just imported fabrications that have been problematic, then you can just skim it. I’ll make sure that it is clear whether you have anything to be worried about.”

He nodded. “Good. Now get out of here. Go and work.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” I said, laughing.

“I just did, so get out of here.”

Lijanna snorted. “Better go, Zaren. When he gets like this, I have learned that it’s better to just leave him alone.”

I followed her out of Harent’s office, closing the door behind us, and then glanced back at it. “Is it just the work, or is there more going on?”

“There may be more going on, but nothing that he would ever tell us. You know how he is. He gets private about such things. He says that it’s difficulty with his family, but I wonder if it’s more than that.”

“And he wouldn’t tell us, would he?”

“Absolutely not,” she said. “And that’s the way that I like it.”

But as she headed down the hall and guided me toward the sparring ground, just outside the constable station, I couldn’t help but feel I wanted something different, to have an opportunity to better know what Harent was dealing with, so that I could help him.

Lijanna looked back at me, and I tore my gaze away and followed.

Maybe Harent was right in one thing. I needed to remain focused.

“This is going to be fun,” Lijanna said.

That stirred me back to focus. “Why?”

“Well, when you’re distracted like this, you really let me beat on you.”

“It’s not like I’m not protected,” I said.

“Protected or not, it’s still fun.” She grinned and drew her blades.

I had to clear my mind, because I didn’t want her to beat on me.

But when we sparred, that, unfortunately, was often the case.

Chapter Seventeen

With relative calm over the city, I decided it was time to focus my energy once more on trying to find whether there would be any additional evidence of the powder. I had become a little complacent, and needed to look into it a bit more to find if there was anything here that would pose a problem. So far, everything I had found suggested that the powder had been a brief issue and that there had been nothing more. Once again, I had taken the opportunity to push away the sense of power all around me. In doing so, I had felt that a vague sort of tingling energy lingered, but I had not been able to discover the source of it. Perhaps it was the powder, or perhaps it was tied to what was happening in the city.

I was heading toward my home when Ellie came jogging up. “I found something, Zaren,” she said. Her voice sounded excited as if she were eager to find me. “I’ve been looking for you, but I know you've been a bit busy.”

Despite the eagerness that was present, there also seemed to be an edge of hurt mixed within it.

“I’ve not been too busy for you. What did you find?”

But then I remembered what she had been doing, where she had been searching.

“You found it?”

“I was doing what you told me to do,” she said, and again, she had a bit of excitement edging her tone that she didn’t hide. “I was pushing away the sense of fabrications. That would be easy enough now that I have done it a few times. But I also started to push away some of the sense of the city. That’s harder.”

Learning what I had about the city, I thought they understood why it was harder, even if I wasn’t exactly sure what that power meant.

“But I’ve started to find a way to ignore more of it.” She beamed. “Come on. I need to show you something.”

I couldn’t deny my curiosity, and we had time now, so I figured if nothing else, it would be helpful for me to go with her to see what she had uncovered. And considering all that we were dealing with, she might have found the powder. But if she had, then I was left with a different type of question, and it left me without any real good answer as to what, exactly, we were dealing with.

“How much of the powder did you find?”

“I don’t think I found all that much,” she said, looking over to me and then offering a bit of a shrug. “And I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but I could feel something, but I am not quite sure what I had felt. Still, I know that there was something out there. It’s just that…” Ellie shook her head, pulled out her blade, and started to spin it, twirling it in her hand as if she needed to do so for her to concentrate. “Just a little tracing. It’s like a dusting.”

I nodded. We weaved through town, not taking any sort of route that I would’ve expected. She mostly guided me through a section of homes. And as we traveled, I found myself focusing, testing whether or not I could even uncover any of the power that might be here, including the powder, but didn’t come up with anything. If there was any sense of that powder, it remained elusive even to me.

“Do you feel it now?”

“Not so much,” she said. “It’s faint, and from here, it’s too hard for me to pick up on it. You’ll see when we get closer.”

“If you say so,” I said.

“I do,” she said, grinning again.

We moved farther, and as we weaved through some of the smaller homes—the buildings old, practically ancient—I started to question if perhaps there was something about this part of the city that had drawn her. Maybe she was connected to something a little bit different than what I would’ve expected. Perhaps she was tracking and tracing, something that I had not recognized. Or perhaps there was another reason. Maybe the powder was used to fortify some of these old buildings. If that were the case, then I wasn’t quite sure why, nor what it was that I had started to detect.

“How did you find this?” I asked.

“You told me to test, didn’t you?” She glanced over, still holding onto her blade. “And I wanted to do a good job. I wanted you to work with me.”

I smiled at that. “I’m happy to work with you.”

“I know that you are. Or at least, I know you say you are, but you get so distracted.”

“And I’m sorry about that.”

We traveled down a narrow street. From here, the street looked as if the buildings were pushing upon it, and there weren’t that many people traveling through it. In truth, since we veered off down this way, there hadn’t been many people. No wagons would fit, and the occasional person we saw cast one look at me, I presumed, before darting away, slipping down an alley or another side street.

“You don’t have to scare everybody here, Zaren,” she said.

“I’m not trying to,” I said. “But it seems as if I am drawing some attention.”

“Aren’t you used to that? Don’t you draw attention everywhere you go?”

“Not everywhere,” I said, thinking about what I had been in Erantor and what it had been like when there had been others like me. But even there, I hadn’t necessarily fit in. Others looked like me, but they weren’t like me. Not really.

Finally, she paused, waving her hand in front of a home’s doorway. The door itself was a faded stout oak with an iron handle and what looked to be a number scratched into it, though it was faded enough that it was difficult to see. Windows were shuttered, and there did not seem to be any sense of fabrication from inside, but I felt a bit of unease as I approached.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s here,” she said, and she grinned. “I finally found more.”

“You found it here?”

I didn’t feel anything, so I wasn’t quite sure how she had.

She crouched before the door and held her hand out as if tracing a space in the air. “Can you feel anything?”

I shook my head. “Not particularly.”

“It’s here. You have to get close, though.”

I did so, mimicking what she had done, and as I did, I began to recognize that what she said was right. There was something, and you did, as she claimed, have to get close. But it was so subtle that it surprised me that she had been able to find it.

“How?”

“I told you I was taking my time, working through here.”

I arched a brow at her. “Ellie.”

If she could pick this up, it would suggest that she was far more talented than I had already assumed she would be. It meant that she was already surpassing what I could do. Not to say that would be a bad thing, but I had not expected her to reach that level just yet.

“Fine,” she said, withdrawing a fabrication from her pocket. When she did, she twisted it in hand. “I borrowed this from the Investigators. I visited my brother and asked what they use to chase down fabrications. And⁠—”

“Do they know that you have it?”

“I didn’t steal it, Zaren.”

When I said nothing, she let out a sigh.

“I borrowed it. And I’ll give it back. But I wanted to do something for you and see if I could find anything. And I did. So you can’t be too mad at me.”

“You have to let Jos know that you borrowed it. That’s the only part that I would have done differently.”

“So you aren’t mad that I took it?”

“You can take whatever resources you think will be helpful for you in doing your job. And this is your job. At least, the job that I’ve given you.” I knew that Dorian had her doing other things, so it wasn’t her only job; it was the only one I had asked of her. Right now, however, it might be one that would be essential. “Have you found anything else?”

“Not really. This was the only place. I can keep looking, but I don’t think anybody intentionally left anything here. I’m not even sure if what we picked up before was intentional. It’s almost like somebody stepped in it and left it here.”

Maybe, I had to admit. Even though I was able to pick up on some of the tracing of power from the powder and, more than that, could see the shimmery reflectivity of it as I looked, I was not entirely sure if there was anything else to it that I could have been able to find.

“Did you try to break into the building here?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Just a curiosity,” I said.

She frowned, biting her lip as she did. “I was a little bit worried to do that,” she admitted. “I considered it. But I didn’t think you would be thrilled if I did, and I also didn’t know what I would find if I went there. You told me that the powder could make fabrications stronger or make them more dangerous. I didn’t want to run the risk of finding anything like that which would be more dangerous.”

“That was probably for the best,” I said. “Because without knowing what and who is involved, you must be especially careful here.”

“So what are you going to do?”

I straightened, and I looked along the street. There didn’t seem to be anything else here. I had been focusing on the possibility of some other fabricated power, perhaps some fabricator wielding power, and trying to use the powder to add to their creations, but I didn’t sense that.

So, if it was anything like that, it had only come through here.

“I think I’m going to need to run a few more tests, and I’m going to try to figure out who might have come by here.”

“Are you going to break in?”

“No,” I said.

I motioned for her to follow me, and we moved further down the street, positioning ourselves into an alleyway where I could still see the doorway, but that was about it. I couldn’t feel anything here, though. I held my hand out, and she frowned as she looked at it momentarily until she handed me the fabrication that she had taken from the Investigators.

“What do you have to do with it?” I asked.

“You don’t know how to wield it?”

“I never have. I’ve always used my sword to try to pick up on additional power. But if this could augment what you do, I am curious if there is a way that I might be able to use it.”

“It seemed to react to me,” she said, shrugging slightly. “And honestly, I don’t know how, or why, it worked like that. I suspect there is something to how it was made, though. Maybe how the power within it is mixed. Again, I don’t know.”

I squeezed it, holding onto the fabrication. I was acutely aware of the fabricated power within it, but even as I squeezed it, I started to notice something a little bit different. There seemed to be a vibration emanating from inside of it, working its way up my arm. I switched hands and still felt it.

“What does it feel like?”

“It’s vibrating,” I said.

“That’s strange. It was warm for me. It got warmer when I got closer to it.” She shrugged. “But then, I have to concentrate on that particular powder.”

Was I picking up on all fabrications, the power of the city, and even the powder as I focused?

Maybe there would be a way for me to differentiate. I still needed greater skill, and eventually, I had to hope that Ardem would send fabrication breakers to the city, though they had not yet done so. With the protests, there was no reason to draw them into the city just yet because doing so would pose a danger to them and perhaps the city.

So, for now, it was going to be upon me to try to understand my own ability without having somebody to instruct me.

I concentrated, doing what I had instructed Ellie to do and trying to push past the awareness I had of fabrications, pushing past the awareness I had of the city itself and focusing solely on what I could feel of the powder. In my mind, there had to be some lingering bit of it that I could find, even if I wasn’t entirely sure what that might be and how I could find some of it. The powder had to be there.

And having been around it before, it was simple enough, I imagined, for me to focus on that and to try to find the additional elements of energy that lingered within it. From what I could tell, what I needed would be a different sort of tracing, a different sort of potency, that might permit me to wield something a bit more than I had before.

And so I concentrated. The vibration had started to fade as I had started to ignore everything else, but by shifting my focus and concentrating on the powder, there was a bit more of a vibration than before.

Then I recognized where it was drawing me, how it was vibrating through my hand, and how it was calling to me in a way.

My eyes widened. “That is quite fascinating,” I said.

“Why haven’t you used it before?”

“Because the Investigators need these,” I said. “But maybe for this, we need it.”

“So you aren’t going to just break down the door, see who might be in there, and grab the powder from them?”

“They probably already know you came by and might even know I’m out here. So I’m going to try to involve some of the constables, maybe some of the Empyreans, and some of the Investigators,” I said, thinking through how I was going to approach this, “and test what might be there.”

Not just test. I was going to find who had brought the powder.

I was increasingly sure that whoever was responsible for it would help me understand if there was a different threat to the city.

“Can I be there when you go in?”

“I’m sure Dorian would not like that.”

“I’m still a Blade, Zaren. And I’m the one who found this.”

“You know what, maybe you should be with me for this. Because you are right. You are a Blade. And you did find this.”

And without her, I doubted that I would have detected it.

But as I focused, I noticed something else. The vibration persisted, and the more I concentrated only on the powder, the more that vibration intensified.

And something became clear to me.

There was more powder here than just that dusting outside of the door.

Chapter Eighteen

Harent leaned over to me, smelling a little of pine and sawdust, leaving me wondering what he had been doing before we had come out here. His voice was hushed as he leaned in, dropping to a whisper. “I’ve got the entirety of this section surrounded. What’s the plan?”

“The plan is to go in,” I said, keeping my gaze locked on that street section. I had been focused, using the Investigator fabrication to try to pick up on the sense of power from the powder inside the room, and had not noticed any movement to it, nor had there been any change.

So, for that matter, I suspected there was nothing to do but go in.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I want to get this over with. We’ve got enough going on with protesters and everything else happening in the city that it doesn’t make sense to leave this.”

“I’ll have a couple of men follow you.”

“Not you?”

“You don’t need a man my age slowing you down.”

“You’re still capable,” I said.

He shrugged. “Let’s just say that fighting isn’t my strength any longer. Nor is it something that I want to do. Besides, I’ll ensure that whoever goes in with you is capable.”

I had little doubt of that. If there was one thing I knew about Harent, it was that he had ensured his people were fully trained.

“Ellie wanted to come with me, as well.” Standing on the other side of the street, she kept looking around. I kept waiting, thinking there would be some sign of it, yet I did not feel anything else. “So she will stay behind me, and your men will stay behind her. They can watch our backs.”

He nodded. “All right. And the rest of us will ensure nobody else gets out.”

“I like the plan,” I said.

With that, we started forward.

I was ready when I reached the door, Ellie in tow. My heart hammered a little, and I couldn’t shake the excitement about the activity. It was foolish, I knew, because we were heading into something potentially dangerous, but I still felt that undercurrent of excitement about heading in and seeing what we might find. I paused momentarily with one hand on the door and focused, testing for the power there.

Ellie leaned over. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready,” I said.

“Do you need to take that long?”

I snorted. “Probably not, but I am gathering my thoughts.”

I withdrew my shorter fabricated blade, focused on the power inside myself, and used it to pry open the door.

Then I darted forward. I held onto the blade and focused on what was inside the room. I recognized the faint tracing of power, but it was subtle enough that I could not pick up on much else. The room was dark, and though I felt the undercurrent of that power, I didn’t feel anything else, and certainly nothing—and more importantly, no one—else here.

“I don’t think anybody’s here,” Ellie said.

“Why would they have gone?” This came from one of the constables behind me. The man was tall, though not quite as tall as me, and of a larger build. I couldn’t remember his name and didn’t want to ask, considering he had been assigned to come with us for defense.

“Let’s take a look,” I said.

I withdrew an arcane lantern from my pocket, dimmed the light, and swept around the inside of the room. There were empty shelves, a trunk along one wall, a table and chair, both weathered and old, and a cooktop that looked to have not been used in quite some time. Everything about this place gave off the energy of emptiness, as if there was not anything here and had not been anything here.

What was I missing?

I turned in place, focusing on the power that had to be here, and even as I did, I couldn’t pick up anything.

“Where did they go?” Ellie asked.

“It’s possible that there wasn’t anybody here. Maybe they came here, left the powder, and were gone before we could find them.”

“But you said that you felt something here,” Ellie said.

And I had, hadn’t I? That seemed significant, and until we had a better idea about what was there and why I had felt that energy, I was unsure if I could do much.

I needed to focus and test whether I could detect any additional power or connection to the powder.

I stood near the chair. In doing so, I began to feel just a little bit of the haze and that energy that lingered. There had to be something here, didn’t there?

Or maybe that was what I was telling myself so that I could try to convince myself that I had not overlooked the power that was there. I didn’t think that I had, but what would happen if there was some lingering bit that I had overlooked?

The power was there, faint, faded, and with it, I attempted to try to concentrate on that, but even as I did, there didn’t seem to be anything. It had been here, I was certain.

But now there was nothing.

I took a moment to look around the room, testing whether there was any other place that somebody could hide, but it was a single-room building.

“Could they have gone down?” Ellie asked.

“Where?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe they were here and decided… Well, I don’t even know what they would’ve been able to decide. I just had a hard time thinking they disappeared like that.”

I also had a hard time, and it left me feeling like I had missed much more than I realized.

“We can go,” I said to the two constables. “We can search, see if we find anything, and regroup.”

The two men nodded, and once they left, I dimmed the light again, shifting the color to a few different strands of color, from blue to red to orange, but I didn’t notice any shimmering of powder that would let me know if there was anything here.

“Anything?” Ellie asked.

“No,” I said. “And I would’ve expected that there would have been something here.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “It’s mine. I thought there was something here.”

Maybe we should’ve come in earlier. Perhaps I should not have taken the time to send Ellie out to gather the constables and try to get numbers so that we could ensure that we would be able to handle whatever was here. Maybe…

Maybe it didn’t matter.

There was no powder. Nothing.

It took a few moments to check for anything hidden, as Ellie’s idea that there might be something else here was a good one, but I didn’t find anything. We headed back out, and after talking with Harent briefly to have his men keep an eye on things, I set off, Ellie following me.

“You don’t have to stay with me,” I said.

“I do. I feel like I owe you for this, Zaren. You trusted me.”

“I still trust you. I don’t blame you for this. I don’t know if we overlooked it or maybe I wasn’t even detecting things correctly.”

“Still,” she said, and I sensed she was concerned.

I turned, looking at her. “You didn’t make a mistake,” I said. “And even if you did, this isn’t what I would judge you for. You picked up on something that I haven’t found. Be proud of that. You are doing good work here.”

“I’m trying,” she said softly.

“I know. Now go and see what Dorian might need for you today.”

“Only if you’re sure,” she said.

“I’m sure.”

She still looked hesitant, but eventually, she took off.

And it left me alone, wandering the streets, holding onto the fabrication that I had used to try to detect the powder in the first place. As I held it, focusing on if there was anything I might find, I began to notice something. The faint undercurrent of power that I had detected lingered. There was still some evidence of it there. I wasn’t sure why, but I could still detect it and near me.

But it was different. And more than that, it was moving.

I set off. It was moving. Whoever had the powder knew that we were there. I didn’t know how they managed to escape, but I would gather that it was probably tied to some fabrication.

Reaching a broad, wide street with activity along it, I paused. I focused here, testing whether there was any bit of that power that I could feel, trying to uncover if there was anything that lingered, but I didn’t feel anything. It was quiet, or at least relatively quiet, to the point where while I did detect some of that energy that flowed through here, most of it was distant.

Until I pushed the other powers that I felt away, ignoring them, I only wanted to focus on what I could sense of the powder.

And that sense remained distant enough that while I felt something, it proved elusive.

I stepped forward. I held onto the fabrication, sweeping it from side to side, and used that to guide me. It was sort of how I had once used my sword. Under other circumstances, I probably would have been more inclined to use the sword, but for now, the fabrication seemed to be more effective and, if nothing else, would allow me to try to uncover a little bit more.

Then I felt a shifting of it.

It was straight ahead of me. I went racing forward and turned a corner, feeling where that power guided me.

Then I saw something that made me slow.

A tall, muscular figure about my height and build was moving down the street and away from me. They were dressed in a simple brown traveling cloak that I could see, hair tucked underneath a hat, but they were from Erantor. I was sure of it.

And the powder made a whole lot more sense.

I wouldn’t have expected anybody from Erantor to be here, though. There was no reason for them to have left the Isle unless they were here, trading, for some specific reason. The last time that I had seen anybody from the Isle, I had been on it.

I jogged after them. I still had questions about my own heritage that I didn’t have answers to. Questions about my father, what it meant for me to have been raised where I was, and why my father had left the Isle and left Erantor behind. I doubted that some random person from Erantor would know those answers, but maybe this person was like my father.

I allowed myself the momentary thought that perhaps it was my father. I’d never seen his body after his death, and after I had returned, I had tried to make sense of my loss but had not had much to make sense of. Still, I felt that little hope, which I knew to be foolish.

He turned a corner, and I followed.

Now that I knew what to focus on, I didn’t need the fabrication to test for the powder. I could just follow that.

And with this person’s size, there was no way that he would be able to fade into the city’s background. He was too large. It was the same issue that I had. I couldn’t travel anywhere in the city discreetly. I would always draw attention. That was the curse of someone my size and someone from my home’s eyes.

I suspected that I could follow him and figure out what he was doing, but first, I had to catch him.

It was moving quickly.

And in doing so, while I had been testing whether there was any connection to the powder or anything that I could pick up on, there seemed to be a different feeling to it, one that almost faded into the background occasionally. It shouldn’t do that, however. That powder, and my ability to detect it, should remain potent, or at least relatively potent, considering what I had been able to feel.

I followed around the corner, but then I didn’t see him.

Reaching again for the fabrication, I attempted to test for the powder, but as I did, focusing on activating it, I felt only a faint vibration. And if I wasn’t mistaken, it seemed as if it were beneath me somehow. That didn’t make any sense at all, so I had no idea what, if anything, I had detected.

Where had he gone?

I moved forward, checking the street for any sign of him, checking buildings, thinking that maybe he had realized I was following him, but I saw no sign of him. I felt no sign of him, as well.

When I started doubling back, I knew I wouldn’t find any evidence of him. He was gone.

But I knew that there was somebody here now. And more than that, I knew that there was powder here.

For what reason, though?

Until I knew, I didn’t know if I could rest.

Chapter Nineteen

We searched for a while for evidence of the man, but there was no sign of him. There was a somber energy to the city. Rumors had begun to spread, but in a way, I needed those rumors. I needed people to stay clear of me and the ships coming in.

At one point, Lijanna caught up to me. “Just wanted to make sure you’re all right, Blade. Heard you’ve been wandering around the city. That’s something you used to do, but not so much these days.”

“I thought I saw someone from Erantor. Haven’t been able to find him again.”

“We can keep an eye out for you. Your kind are sort of hard to miss.” I grunted. “Harent has us patrolling to watch for another attack.”

“And that only matters for us when the right ship comes in,” I said. “And I think part of the problem is that we didn’t do a good job of concealing which ship it was.”

She shrugged. “Talk to those responsible.”

“I have,” I said. The hard part was that I didn’t know if it had made much difference, because Dorian wasn’t going to take my advice. When I had approached him before, he had made it sound like I had to deal with the danger, and to ensure that everything was dealt with fully. The situation was frustrating. “I’m not sure what we can do to keep anything more from happening.”

“I get it. I do. Just be careful.”

“I intend to.”

We patrolled together for a while before I eventually went my own way. Lijanna had other assignments, much like I did, and it was unlikely that we would find all that much.

I stopped for a moment at the Investigator station and made a point of talking to the Investigators about planting more detection fabrications. I wanted to see if they would pick up on the movement of the woman, to get to her before she had a chance to attack us again.

Eventually, I set off on my own again.

I needed to look for answers.

And though I didn’t feel anything, I suspected that there had to be a way to uncover something more.

I hadn’t gone very far before I began to detect a different sort of energy in the air, something that was familiar to me. There was a rhythm to it, and that rhythm built through me as if it was attempting to synchronize with my heartbeat. Or perhaps I just imagined that. Regardless, I knew exactly where I had felt that sense before.

Garridan.

Why was he here?

I thought about the last time I had seen him, on board the pirate ship when I had been leaving Ardem. Then there had been the Guild note, which I had not really followed up on, though I had not found anyone who I would anticipate being responsible for that note.

Still, with what was happening in the city, the fact that Garridan was here left me a little uncertain, and more than a little uneasy.

I moved along the alleyway, focusing on what I could feel of him. Near the end of the alley, there was a doorway.

The door itself looked relatively unremarkable, but it was the sense of energy that lingered in the door that drew my attention.

I approached, drawing my shorter blade, and I held it up toward the door. It was a fabrication, but I wasn’t sure what kind, nor was I sure what purpose it had.

As I pressed the blade up against the door, there was a soft click as it unlocked.

On the other side was a small, completely enclosed courtyard. Buildings on all sides framed a space that was about twenty paces in either direction. The stones were weathered and slick under my feet as I moved forward, testing for magic. I could still feel that rhythm, but that was about it.

A tall tree stood in the middle of the courtyard, stretching its branches until it managed to get above the boundaries set by the buildings. Shiny red fruits adorned the branches, though the leaves were all thick, waxy, and had sharp edges.

“It’s taken you long enough,” a familiar voice said from behind me.

I spun, Garridan somehow behind me now.

How had he managed to do that?

I had long since learned to stop worrying about the things that Garridan was able to do, how he was able to surprise me. Because inevitably he did surprise me.

“You summoned me,” I said, taking out the letter.

He glanced at it before shaking his head. “Not me.”

“So this wasn’t a summons?”

“Oh, this was a summons, but not from me. Besides, do I need to do that?”

“I suppose not,” I agreed. I was still holding my smaller blade and was acutely aware of how little I’d be able to do to someone like Garridan. “Care to tell me why you called me? Or am I supposed to guess that as well?”

“No. There was no need for you to guess. I’m perfectly content to tell you.”

“Good. Because I’m not sure if you are involved in what’s happening in the city, or if the Guild is. I think you should be honest with me, though. I’ve earned that right, haven’t I?”

“Have you earned it?” Garridan asked.

Irritation flooded me. Here I was in a place that was drawing upon power. Every so often, a wave of energy would wash outward. It was a little more subtle here, but I could still feel it. And now that I was aware of it, I could tell that it was coming from the massive ring of fabrications in the center of the courtyard. There was something unusual about it. Rather than being made of metal, it appeared to be a ring of stone, with markings along the stones themselves. The structure was old—impossibly old. I had never seen anything quite like it before.

“Don’t act as if you don’t know what’s been happening in the city,” I said. “You are obviously a part of it.”

Garridan offered a wry smile. “Pretend? Why, I wouldn’t pretend anything of the sort. I’m sharing with you what I know, and offering whatever assistance I might be able to. It is limited, though.”

“Because of the Guild?”

“Something like that,” he said.

“Does this have anything to do with the division within the Guild?”

“You are a clever man,” Garridan said. “And I suppose I should not have put that past you.”

“Clever?” I shook my head. “This is nothing to do with being clever. It has everything to do with seeing what has come through Busal City in the time I have been here. Not only you but others with you.”

“Yes, about that. I am terribly sorry that you had to deal with Benjamin, and what he was doing to gain my attention.” Garridan smiled tightly and turned his attention to the fabrications in the center of the courtyard. “And I can’t deny that he has done a passable job in trying to draw my attention.”

“You don’t get along with him?”

“He was my first instructor,” Garridan said.

I turned to Garridan and looked at him—really looked at him this time.

I had assumed that he was older than me, but that was just because he seemed more worldly, and I had to admit that he was more powerful than me. His power was unique. He always had a distinct confidence to him, a competence, but this was more than that. His eyes had seen more than any man his age had a right to see.

Though as I really looked at him this time, it was quite clear to me that he was not nearly as old as I had initially thought. “How?”

“It’s a long story, and not one that’s terribly exciting to tell. At least, not for me. There are others who think that they need to share such stories, but…” He snorted. “I’m not much for such storytellers.”

“Storytellers?” The comment caught me off guard, as I supposed it was meant to. Here I was concerned about the Guild, and Garridan was talking about entertainers.

He chuckled. “That’s how you would hear my story, if you were so inclined.”

I blinked. “A storyteller has already come up with a story for you?”

That seemed…

Odd. But I suspected that Garridan had experienced the kind of thing that would attract a storyteller. Considering his exploits with the Guild, I supposed that a storyteller would want to follow him and share such tales.

“What is this?” I asked, turning to look at the tree. “And why are you here?”

“I am here to deal with a threat.”

“And what is the threat? It’s not the protesters.”

“No. Unfortunately for you, it is not. I’m more concerned about something that has been hidden within the city for a long time. Something that I have not been able to uncover, despite my prodigious gifts. Unfortunately, there are elements that prevent me from finding it.”

“What?”

“I thought you knew. Actually, I thought that you had been searching for it. I’m looking for a Twilight Gate.”

That statement made me pause. It was not at all what I would have expected, especially from Garridan. I had heard rumors of Twilight Gates. They were ancient artifacts of the fae and were supposedly found in ancient ruins, though I had never seen any before.

I started to laugh. I couldn’t help it. This entire conversation felt ridiculous.

“I’m afraid I don’t see what’s amusing,” Garridan said.

“You. This. Everything.”

“I see. So you have that reaction to the idea of a Twilight Gate,” he said.

“What reaction should I have?” I asked. “I’m afraid I don’t know what it should be, because what you are searching for is a little…” I finally stopped laughing. “Ridiculous.”

He smiled. “‘Ridiculous’ is a good way to put it, as some of the strangest stories are ridiculous, aren’t they? And in this case, I am quite sorry that your city has gotten caught up in this.”

“You believe there is one in Busal City?”

“There should be. I haven’t been able to find it, but given the age of the city and its particular makeup, I would expect to find one here. I have not been able to uncover its location, though.”

“And you think I can help?”

“I think with your unique abilities, you might be able to find something that I cannot. I’m hopeful, at least.”

“And this is tied to what the Guild is doing?”

“A faction of the Guild, but yes.”

“I’m going to stop it,” I said.

“It might be too late for you to handle on your own. Those responsible have attacked in the way that they have as a proof of concept. The Guild intends to deal with it. At least, my faction of the Guild.”

“No,” I said. When Garridan turned to me, I just shrugged. “I’m not going to have the Guild running rampant in Busal City, and I’m not going to have you or others within the Guild doing things that might cause the citizens harm.”

“I see. So you’re telling me that you want to handle this on your own?”

“You can take care of whatever Guild members you have, but that’s it.”

“It may not be as simple as that,” he said.

“I don’t care about how simple it is. The only thing I care about is ensuring that your people are not responsible for the protests.”

“Protests?” Garridan asked.

I nodded.

“The Guild would not be involved in protests.”

“There’s a woman with them,” I said. “I don’t know much about her, but I suspect that she is like you.” I watched him as I spoke, as I wasn’t sure how he might react.

“Not part of the Guild,” he said.

“Are you sure?”

“Certain. I’d know if there was somebody else within the Guild active in your city. I have made quite clear the repercussions if they were to come here.”

There was venom in his tone, and I found myself regarding him with a renewed appreciation. It was the kind of thing that I knew he needed to be careful with, because it was the kind of thing that would make him incredibly dangerous.

Not that I thought that he was anything other than dangerous.

“Then what?” I asked.

“Something else.” Garridan’s voice had become a little more distant, as if he was troubled by everything he was talking about. Finally, he turned his attention to the Twilight Gate. “If she’s who I think, she’s powerful.”

“More than Talina?”

He started to smile. “I forget that you dealt with that one. In some ways, yes. In others, not so much.”

“Who is she?”

“A woman named Isarash. At least, that is what I knew her as. One who would change the past if she could. And with what she intends, she might.”

“What does she have to do with the protests, then?” I had to keep the conversation on the issues that I could deal with, not on things that I could not. And if he would go after this woman, who was I to stop him?

The Queen’s Blade, I had to remind myself.

“I would have said nothing, but perhaps it’s a ruse.”

“Or perhaps the power of the fabrications prevents her from finding something else,” I suggested.

He regarded me a moment, his gaze skimming over me. There was a real weight to it that hadn’t been there before, as if seeing me for the first time. “Perhaps. And if so, it is imperative that we reach the gate before she does.”

“Why?”

He squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling deeply. “Because of what she would bring through.” He opened his eyes. “If you do find the gate, I have something that might help me. That is, if you don’t mind?”

Without giving me an opportunity to answer, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small circular fabrication. It emitted a faint buzzing in my hand.

“Place this near it. I will find it then. I would encourage you to leave it alone, though.”

“Because it’s dangerous?”

“It is. But perhaps you might be the only one who can find its location, or the protections around its location. Especially given what you did with the other one you had with you.”

“Waleith.”

“Yes.”

“Waleith was held because of what he did to the city, and we needed answers. I thought the Guild would help, and Benjamin was kind enough⁠—”

Garridan smiled. “Kind enough?”

“I suppose you would say that he’s not necessarily kind.”

“That one has plans behind everything that he does.”

“Much like you, I would imagine.”

He shrugged slightly. “He was my first mentor, so I suppose that would be true.”

I was quiet for a moment. “Have you found out anything about Waleith? Or I suppose I should ask, has the Guild?”

“I can’t tell you what has been uncovered.”

I reached into my pocket. Garridan hesitated as I did. I fished around and pulled out the note from the Guild, which I held out. “You don’t have anything to do with this?”

“No,” he said.

“Well, apparently, someone in the Guild wants to meet.”

“I would encourage you to be careful, Mr. Joha.”

“Because of the Guild?”

“Yes.”

“Is it possible that Benjamin took Waleith to the other faction of the Guild?”

Garridan was quiet for a moment, looking around, as if he was deciding whether to answer me. When he finally turned back to me, a deep frown shadowed his eyes. “It is possible. I don’t know what plans he has, or whether it is all tied to his desire to get back into my good graces. Or if it is all tied to trying to gain power on his own. Regardless, I would encourage you to be careful with him.”

“I’m careful with all of you,” I said.

“Good.”

“Do you think someone may have found the gate already?”

Garridan’s frown deepened. The darkness around his eyes made it difficult to read his expression, but I knew enough about him to know that it might be irritation.

“It is possible,” he said.

“I have been picking up on a new power in the city. I’m not sure what it is, but if it’s tied to you⁠—”

“As I said, it is not tied to me. But they may have found it. And that would be a concern. Like I said, if you find it, do not linger. Just place the fabrication, and I will secure it.”

I regarded him quietly for a moment. “So you believe that people can actually pass through the Twilight Gate?”

“Some, and often the wrong ones. Be careful here, Blade.”

“And you don’t interfere in what’s happening in the city. Don’t make it worse,” I said.

Garridan smiled, shifting the instrument case on his back. “And now you think to instruct me?”

“I’m not instructing you. I’m asking you to not interfere in what is happening in the city.”

He considered this for a moment. “I will take it under advisement. Is that enough?”

“No,” I said.

He smiled. “I’m sorry, Zaren. I really am. But I can’t allow the others to take the action they intend to. I will, however, do whatever I must in order to ensure the safety of your city, with the Guild.”

“Don’t attack any of my people. I don’t know if I can guarantee your safety.”

“And whatever made you think that I needed anyone to guarantee my safety?”

The sharpness to his tone sent a chill down my spine.

I knew that Garridan was capable—powerful, even. But the way that he had spoken suggested that he was more than just passively powerful. Then again, when I had dealt with him before, I had seen evidence of that.

“I will do what I must,” he said. “As will you.”

And with that, I knew that our conversation was over.

Chapter Twenty

The demonstration was louder than the last one.

I’d been called out to the harbor road by several Investigators. I approached carefully. The protesters had blocked the roadway. There was a throng of people moving along the road and attempting to prevent anybody else from passing through.

There were no constables present. They wouldn’t be able to get through very easily. I, on the other hand, just forced my way through, using my size to my advantage.

I started to suspect a magical energy but couldn’t track it very easily, not with this many people here.

“You make it hard to follow you,” Asi said from behind me.

“I’m giving you space,” I said, fighting my way through the crowd again.

“I think that my blades would find space, if they needed to.” She looked around. “You know, I don’t like being this height. You’re probably able to see over everybody.”

“Not everybody,” I said. “But most.”

“And you say that as if it’s not an advantage.”

“Oh, it definitely is.”

Asi growled at me. “It most definitely is. Well?”

“I don’t see anything clearly,” I said. “Can you feel anything? There’s a vaguely familiar energy here.”

“I feel it, but I don’t recognize it. I don’t think that’s fabrications, though.”

I shook my head. “Doesn’t feel like fabrications to me, either.”

I pushed past a pair of men who looked immediately as if they wanted to fight, but then they took one look at me, and their eyes widened, and they backed away into the crowd.

“There you go again,” Asi muttered.

“It’s only going to work as long as they decide I’m too much trouble,” I said. “The moment they think they can fight past me, or both of us, we are going to have a real problem.”

“So we just don’t let them want to do that,” she said.

“I don’t want to provoke them, but if we want to keep moving, we have to keep pushing, and…” I had to fight my way through again, and then I saw a hooded figure not far from us.

“What is it?” Asi said. “I’ve started feeling something a little different. Have you found something?”

I nodded. “I’ve found… something.”

And I could feel the energy coming from that hooded figure up ahead.

“Remember what I told you about the person I saw in that other protest?”

“I do. Is she here?”

“Seems to be.”

“Should we bring her in?”

I hesitated. If we were to bring this person in for questioning, we might find out more information about the protests and about what she was after. But arresting her might only inflame the crowd.

“We follow,” I said.

Asi laughed, and I looked down at her.

“You? Follow?” She shook her head. “No, Zaren. You don’t follow anybody. You loom. And you can intimidate. But you aren’t so good at following.”

“How about this, then? I make my presence known, and you do the following.”

“That sounds like a better plan. Not a good one, but better.”

“And I’m sure that you would be happy to tell me what plan would be a good one.”

“I don’t really have a good one right now. The best one would be to place a tracking fabrication on her.” Asi gave a woman who got too close to her a slight shove, pushing her out of the bubble of protection that I had created. “But even if we do that, there’s no guarantee that it will prevent her from doing anything or give us a measure of safety.”

“No guarantee,” I agreed.

“So, what should we do?”

“I’m going to keep moving forward. You follow me, use me as cover, and then when I draw her attention, you follow her.”

“I’ll follow her,” she said. “I will track her as far as I can.”

It was a simple plan, but sometimes simple plans were the most effective.

I pushed forward through the crowd and stopped looking behind for Asi. I didn’t think that she was following that closely, but then again, she would need to keep up with me. If she got lost in the crowd, she might not catch up to the woman.

As I neared the hooded woman, I began to feel the contours of her power again. It was the same energy that I had felt when I had been in her presence before. There was an undercurrent of pressure, and an uneasy sensation. It was the uneasy sensation that I had been picking up on the entire time that I had been moving through the crowd. It occurred to me that she was responsible for the crowd’s dynamics.

If only I’d had more time with Garridan to try to understand his power, and the way that he wielded it.

I continued pushing. I ignored the complaints until I was nearly next to the woman. Somebody began to push against me, however.

Not magically but physically.

These people didn’t want me to get close.

There was a desire to protect her.

“Sorry about that,” I grumbled, keeping my voice low. “Just trying to move down the street.”

One man looked back at me.

He had the grizzled look of a man who had seen combat. His left eye was slightly milky, and he tilted his head so that he could watch me with much more intensity.

The man was dressed all in drab brown. A heaviness around him exerted an energy unlike any fabricated power I had felt before.

“Move away,” he said. “You aren’t wanted here. This has nothing to do with you.”

I ignored him and pushed forward, and he held his arm out.

Interesting. Maybe I could create a commotion to draw some of this woman’s protectors away and give Asi a chance to get closer.

“It’s a public street,” I said, shrugging slightly. “No reason that I can’t use it just as you are.”

“It’s not open,” the man said. “We hold the street.”

“Oh?”

He made a motion, and two others joined him.

These also had the look of soldiers about them, and while they didn’t have the sense of power to them, nothing of fabrications, they still gave off a sense of confidence in their abilities. Whatever it was, I needed to be careful.

There was no reason for them to attack anybody of the Queen’s household and draw the ire of the Queen or the Empyreans. But maybe he didn’t recognize me as a part of the household.

“Move along,” he said.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll move along.”

I gave him a shove, knocking the man over, and I kept striding forward.

As I did, the crowd converged around me, and I turned, giving another shove.

I caught a glimpse of the woman looking right at me. I could feel the weight of her power. I pushed against it, using my natural resistance to fight what she was trying and force my way free. The crowd began to follow me, now an angry, loud swell of voices behind me.

I had to keep the woman’s attention so that she did not notice Asi, as I wasn’t sure if Asi would be able to break free of this power. She was skilled, but my Blade strength was greater than hers.

I moved on.

As I broke free of the crowd, I turned down a side street and tried to avoid the protesters. I moved away from the harbor, slipping down alleyways.

Thankfully, I’d spent enough time on these streets to know my way around.

When I cleared the crowd entirely, I was on a side street several blocks away, and my heart was hammering. I was leaning over, catching my breath, when I heard a familiar voice.

“Zaren?”

I looked up. Dara was there.

“What are you doing here?” Dara asked.

“Oh, just fighting my way through a protest.”

She arched a brow. “You’re going to take on all of that lot?” She flicked her gaze in the direction of the protest. “I saw it. Well, I saw a little of it. I avoided it for the most part. Most of us do.”

“Most?”

“Anybody who wants to carry out business in the city. We tend to stay away from it, because it just doesn’t make any sense to get involved in it. What were you doing out there?”

“Research,” I said.

“Research. I can’t say that I approve of the type of research you are doing, as I don’t want anything to happen to you, though I wonder if maybe you aren’t as concerned about yourself as you should be.”

“Oh, I’m definitely concerned about myself,” I said. “I just tend to do things a little foolishly.”

Dara laughed. “That’s a rare treat.”

“What is?”

“For a man to make that admission.” She smiled. “Come on, Zaren. Let’s go.”

“Go?”

“Leave. You need to get away from here, don’t you?” She glanced back. “Because it looks like you still have some pursuers. And unless you want to get caught by them…”

“I very much don’t.”

“Come on. I know a place.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Dara took me to her home. I’d only been here a time or two, and yet there was something comfortable about sitting in the chair next to her, a glass of wine resting on the table between us, and knowing that I was safe. Or at least, relatively safe. There was the small figurine that we had bought in the market, the figurine that was supposed to depict me. Surprisingly, it had taken on some characteristics that made it look more like me. And if I wasn’t mistaken, the figurine had even changed in size.

I had a paired figurine of Dara in my home. But I hadn’t been around my home nearly as much as Dara had been around hers, and I didn’t know if proximity to such figurines made a difference.

“Thank you,” I said, taking a sip of the wine and then setting it down on the table. “I appreciate you giving me a place to hide out.”

“Don’t be like that,” Dara said, dropping into the chair next to me. She offered a tray of cheese. “Not much. Sorry. I wasn’t expecting to be entertaining today. But I didn’t think this was going to be a wander-the-streets kind of date.”

“Is it a date?”

“Well, it’s just the two of us, and you need to take a break from your job, so it might as well be.” She offered a hint of a smile. “Care to tell me what you found?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” I said. “Something is going on with those protests. And…”

And as I thought about it, I realized I didn’t want to involve Dara in all this. I didn’t want to put her in danger.

“You can just tell me that it’s none of my business,” Dara said.

“It’s not that,” I said.

“Oh? So it is my business?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. They are protesting fabrications, so I guess it is some of your business.”

“I think that’s how it started.” She grabbed a cube of cheese, tossed it in her mouth, and chewed slowly. “At least, that’s how the leaders of the protests have made it seem. They wanted anybody who was involved in the manufacture and import of fabrications to know that they were being targeted by the protest.” She snorted. “Rianal has been really unhappy about it. But he’s been unhappy about a lot of things.”

“Such as my visiting your shop?”

“I think that bothered him at first,” she admitted. “But then he came to see that you didn’t really do anything, and he decided that it wasn’t so much of an issue.”

“I didn’t do anything?”

“You left the shop alone.”

I had done more than that, and I didn’t know if she was aware.

“It didn’t help that some of your Investigators patrolled outside the shop, but they never came in.”

When Dara looked over, I realized that she was aware.

“There’s no reason to bother your shop,” I said. “The Queen doesn’t care about that sort of thing.”

“I’m not sure about that,” she said. “Because in our experience, it doesn’t so much matter what the Queen cares about as what those who serve the Queen decide the Queen cares about.”

“It only matters what the Queen tells them.”

“How many people do you think have conversations with the Queen?”

She took another piece of cheese.

And with that, I realized that Dara was probably right. There weren’t many people like me, who understood what the Queen was after and had an opportunity to talk to the Queen.

“Not many,” I said. “Especially not these days.”

She arched a brow. “These days? Oh. Sounds like there is a story there. Does it have anything to do with why you left Busal City?”

“I left to go with the trade delegation,” I said. “I was to help with the trade agreement.”

Dara was quiet for a few moments. “You?”

“Why?”

“I’m not saying this to be mean, Zaren, but you’ve only been in the city for a short while, right? And now you are part of a trade delegation? That strikes me as⁠—”

“Surprising?”

She laughed. “I suppose ‘surprising’ would be as good a way to put it as any. Why?”

“Because I have been instrumental in helping protect the Queen,” I admitted.

“So are the rumors true?”

“Rumors?” I asked, realizing how foolish I sounded.

“Don’t play dumb,” she said. “It doesn’t suit you. Rumors. Stories about the Queen, and losing control, and even an attempt to overthrow her. Some people were talking about it being her stepbrother. But that must not be true, because he’s still there.”

“I thought the same thing about him,” I admitted.

Dara smiled. “You thought that?”

“I even went so far as to accuse him of it.”

Her eyes widened. “You really must be in a good position.”

“Why?”

“To accuse the Queen’s stepbrother of treason, and to live. That suggests that you’re in a position of power.”

“Or maybe it just means that I’m in a position that is needed.”

“Maybe that,” she said, laughing again. “So, it wasn’t him.”

“Not him. Others in the household, though. And it’s dealt with.”

“It’s been my experience that when people start to question what is happening, you can remove the ones who ask the question, but the question itself lingers.”

I was quiet for a moment. Was that part of the reason that the protests were spreading? Were people not satisfied with the answers they were getting?

Part of my concern came from everything the Queen had been through with her illness, a situation that remained uncertain and unknowable.

I looked over at Dara, who was quiet.

As she looked at me, taking another bite of cheese, there was a hint of a smile on her face. “You look like I just told you something unpleasant,” she said.

“I think it’s more that I hadn’t really considered things that I know I need to, and I’ve been… well, I’ve been trying to figure out more about what I need to do, but I’ve not really had an opportunity to do that. My task has proven to be difficult.”

“I think this city is difficult in general,” she said.

“Has it been the case for you since you came?”

“You can just ask,” she said.

“You’ve never wanted to talk about it,” I said.

Dara was quiet for a few moments. “It’s not so much that I don’t want to talk about it. It’s more that it isn’t safe for me to talk about it. There is, as you likely know, a network of fabricators.”

She was referring to those who were involved in manufacturing fabrications, things that she and Rianal had been a part of.

I didn’t know how extensive the network was. But it was an undeniable fact that there had to be others like Dara.

“You don’t have to look at me like that,” she said. “I know that you have been trying to figure it out, but…”

“I haven’t been able to find anything,” I said. “But then again, I haven’t really looked.”

“Why not?”

“I suppose I haven’t needed to.”

“Because you haven’t felt I am a threat, nor the others that I work with, or because you haven’t thought that we are useful?”

“It’s not even that,” I said.

It was more about my lack of understanding. I had not considered that minor fabrications were significant.

“They need help, Zaren,” she said, her voice soft.

“I guess I haven’t really considered that.”

“Most people in the city don’t think much about my kind of people. But there is something you might be able to do to ensure that we are safe. Or at least as safe as you can make us.”

That wouldn’t be impossible. There had to be something more I could do to ensure that the fabricators were unharmed.

Besides, there was value in some minor fabrications. And I knew that such minor fabrications were valued by the Queen, even if they weren’t always openly valued.

“I might need you to point out areas where I could help.”

Dara hesitated. But then again, I understood, because I was asking her to reveal secrets.

“I’m not sure I can do that. I think it would be easier, and maybe better, to arrange a meeting.”

“Is there a formalized organization that I could meet with?”

“More so than you realize,” she said. “I don’t think that it is meant to be like that, but a structure has evolved over time.”

“Interesting.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” she said.

I snorted. “And how am I being?”

“You look like you are upset that I’m keeping something from you. And maybe in a way I have been. But I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you in particular. I’m just trying to…”

“There have been those who have been connected to the organization and have had some difficulty,” she said.

I took a slow drink of the wine as Dara watched me. Her expression was flat for a long moment before she forced a smile.

“How about we talk about something else?” She leaned forward. “Because I get the feeling that you aren’t sure what you want to do here.”

“I’m not sure what I need to do, to be honest.”

“Not everything has to be about work, Zaren,” she said.

Too often, that was what it was for me. It was all that I knew in this city. But it didn’t need to be. I could relax, and I could ignore some of the threats for a little while, couldn’t I?

“Just relax,” she said, her voice soft. “Because soon enough, you’ll have to go back to whatever is out there. When you do that, I think that you’ll figure out where you belong.”

Comments like that made it harder. I wasn’t sure quite where I did belong, or whether I would ever find my place within Busal City.

The time that I spent with Dara, however, always made me feel more relaxed, more like myself, but I started to wonder if that was a mistake. Was that me?

I was a Blade, and the Queen had asked for me, in particular, to serve more directly.

And I did not know what it might be, but eventually, I was going to have to make a choice.

Chapter Twenty-Two

When another shipment came into the city, I was better prepared. I wasn’t sure what would happen this time, but I wanted to be ready in case the protesters decided to cause more trouble. From what I had learned, we had regular shipments coming to the city, but the frequency of the shipments was variable.

As I was making my way toward the shoreline, all was quiet around me. It was early morning, and I suspected the timing was intentional. I was not involved in the coordination of the transport ships, but I could easily see the benefit of bringing them in early in the morning so that protesters were less likely to be up and active. I was also focusing on whether any residual power lingered in the city.

“Are you sure you want to be a part of this?” I asked Asi.

“Considering I didn’t find anything when I trailed the woman, I need to be.” She strode alongside me, struggling to keep pace with my long steps. “Besides, with everything that’s happening, we need to coordinate our activities. So regardless of whether I want to do this, I’m going to.” She flicked her gaze toward the far side of the harbor—her side of the city. “Besides, nothing’s happening over there right now. We’ve been quiet. I hate saying that, but it’s true.”

I smiled. “Why do you hate saying that?”

“It’s a superstition thing. Haven’t you ever heard that? You don’t talk about it being quiet unless you want it to be busy.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I figure it is better to be careful than regret your words later.”

I didn’t have such superstitions, but then, I hadn’t inherited the traditions of the Blades as Asi had. Maybe a little superstition wouldn’t be a bad thing, especially with some of the things that I got involved with.

“Still, thank you for coming,” I said.

“We are just watching, right? You don’t have any intention to get involved here?”

“I’m just monitoring the activity here.”

“With the protests?” Asi asked, frowning. “What do you think you will find?”

I shrugged. “That’s just it. I have no idea. Hopefully, nothing. But I have started to see that things aren’t always the way that I might want them to be in this city.”

“I don’t think we have to worry too much about what’s happening here. Prince Dorian has deployed the Empyreans.” She motioned to the soldiers stationed around us, near enough that they created a presence, which I suspected would only add to the tension. “I doubt we are going to get called in to deal with any conflict.”

I hoped she was right. But hope didn’t necessarily bring safety. Maybe that was my superstition.

When we reached the shoreline, the street was occupied only by the Empyreans and a smattering of civilians. The calm was reassuring.

At this time of day, the shoreline was quiet, with the harbor-front taverns closed. Many fishing boats were already at sea and would not return for quite a while. There were a few navy ships in the harbor, but not so many as to be unusual. And then there was the single vessel that had just come in that morning.

It was another Ardemian transport ship. There was nothing distinct about it, nothing that would draw any attention.

I surveyed the street. Other than the Empyreans, there were a handful of constables and even a few of my Investigators. I had warned them to monitor the situation but not to take unnecessary action.

“It’s quiet,” Asi said.

“I think you’re trying to curse us,” I said.

“I’m not. I’m just commenting that it’s early, Zaren. I don’t think we have anything to be concerned about here. If there were going to be a problem, we would know about it by now.”

“I agree. I’m just trying to keep an eye on things and be diligent.”

“That’s good and all, but let’s just enjoy the ease of this job.”

I chuckled. “If you want, you can head back to your side.”

“I’m going to observe this shipment. And then you’re going to buy me breakfast.”

“I am, am I?”

“I’m pretty sure you get paid better than I do.”

“I could make sure you get paid better,” I said.

“I haven’t even asked about that before, but maybe I should have pushed you for better compensation. With how close you and the Queen are, I would imagine that she would be open to ensuring that her other Blade is as well compensated as her primary one?”

I smiled. “I don’t think that I’m her primary Blade.”

“You are, even if you don’t see it that way. And that’s fine.” Asi turned. “Did you station the soldiers here? Or was that all Prince Dorian?”

“That’s all him. He wants to ensure that the shipments make it here safely as well.”

“And the constables?”

“I’m sure that was Harent,” I said. “He knows the schedule of the shipments, and with what has been happening, he will have brought people in to make sure that there is as much protection here as necessary.”

“But your Investigators…”

“That was me,” I said.

“Figured.”

I moved toward the ship, drawn by it. I started to pick up on a faint undercurrent that pulled on me. Maybe the undercurrent was tied more to the fabrications on the ship, but maybe there was something else to it. Regardless, I felt compelled to move forward, because I was curious about what I might find. Until I knew, I wanted to test the ship.

“I’m feeling a drawing,” I said.

“I feel it. Figured it was the fabrications on the ship,” Asi said quietly.

“It might be,” I said.

As we approached the ship, I noticed more people here than I had anticipated. At first I had thought that the street was mostly empty, but as I got closer, I realized that was not the case. There were just a few protesters, not nearly as agitated as they had been before. Most of the people were younger. Nobody appeared to be armed. The nearby Empyreans were watching them warily, and even the constables, when they made their presence known, gave them a wide berth. There had to be about fifty people. Enough that if they wanted to, they could cause a problem.

“I wish I had some way of subduing the crowd,” I muttered. “I’m sure Matherin could make something.”

“Are you sure? It really depends on what types of fabrications he’s most gifted with, you know.”

“He doesn’t really talk about which fabrications he prefers to manufacture. Most of them are defensive.”

“Different fabricators have different strengths, Zaren. It’s something that you learn.”

“If I ever have time,” I said.

I surveyed the crowd.

I was mostly curious about the hooded woman. I didn’t know if there would be any sign of her, but because I believed that she was responsible for riling up the crowd last time, I wouldn’t put it past her to be here. But I didn’t see her. Nor did I see anybody who looked as if they were trying to protect her.

I felt the power.

That was what bothered me more than anything.

And until I had a better idea about what I was picking up on, and whether there was anything to it, I wasn’t sure if I needed to be alarmed by it.

So I neared the ship. I scanned it. There was nothing remarkable about it. It looked like any of a dozen merchant ships in the harbor at any given time. That was the point, as it would draw less attention, both in the harbor and out at sea. The Busalan navy had enough of a reputation that would hopefully prevent anybody from thinking they could target our ships, but there was something else to it that I thought was beneficial. Fabrications had been worked into the hull of the ship. Something that I suspected Ardem had done.

“I didn’t realize that they were taking such drastic steps,” I said.

“You mean in protecting the ships?”

“The ships, and anything else that we might encounter here.”

I concentrated on the deep part of my Blade ability for anything else. There didn’t seem to be anything, but as I focused, I recognized a faint undercurrent.

Then I noticed something else. It was subtle, and it was starting to change.

“It’s not the ship,” I said, mostly to myself. I turned, surveying the crowd to see if anyone was moving toward us.

“Something’s happening here, Zaren,” Asi said.

“I feel it,” I said. “I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know what they intend. It leaves me with⁠—”

I didn’t have a chance to finish.

The power suddenly built in a crescendo of energy. It was overwhelming, and when it built to a peak—I had to believe that it had waited until I was here, close to the ship—the entire ship exploded.

I did what I had done in Ardem.

The technique that I had used there was one that I had not discovered before going to Ardem, but it had involved me creating a shrouding, a shielding, that I could expand around myself. That bubble of energy might protect me.

And it might protect Asi, because I didn’t know if she would know the same technique. She and I hadn’t had an opportunity to train on that.

That was what saved me.

I was tossed back as the explosion rippled over me, and I landed on my backside.

Pushing myself up, I looked over. The ship was gone.

I had no idea if the fabrications on it had been removed or not.

“Zaren?” Asi asked, trying to pull me to my feet.

I blinked, trying to clear my vision, but it was difficult. Even though I had shielded myself—and, it seemed, Asi with my body—I had still taken the brunt of the explosion.

But there was chaos near the shoreline. The protesters were running, scrambling, and soldiers came toward us, but there was a tentativeness to them. And I didn’t see any sign of the Investigators or any constables, but I imagined that they were coming toward us as well.

There had been significant power to that explosion. Something far greater than I would have anticipated, especially with what I had been picking up on as I had moved closer to the ship.

“She has to be here,” I said.

“It might just be one of her people,” Asi said.

“Maybe, but I think she was here. I think she waited.”

“Waited for what?”

I managed to get up, and I stood with hands on my thighs, breathing slowly, trying to clear my vision.

“Waiting for me.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Istill had not seen any sign of Garridan again. That didn’t mean he’d left the city—far from it—but the fact that he had made a point of seeking me out suggested that whatever was going on required my help, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

The hard part, however, was in coming to terms with what he had said about the woman.

Not the Guild.

She was something else, so what was it, and why was she here?

She had significant power. That much was clear. And that fact alone had me concerned about what else she might do in the city, and to those of us within it. She might pose a challenge beyond what we could withstand. I had felt her influence, and I had seen the way that she was able to instigate the crowd.

And then there was what Garridan had mentioned about the Twilight Gate.

Regardless of everything else taking place in the city, including the danger of the protests, Garridan’s search for the Twilight Gate suggested a very different issue at play here.

Maybe I just needed to let him do whatever he would do.

I didn’t like the idea of letting somebody from the Guild work freely within Busal City, but that wasn’t something I had much control over.

“You look lost,” a familiar voice said from behind me.

I turned. I hadn’t even realized that I was walking along Dara’s street, but maybe I had been drawn here. She was coming out of her shop, her hand hesitating on the handle, her eyes lingering as she looked at me with a curious expression. Maybe she was deciding whether she wanted to talk to me, or whether she wanted to run from me.

I had to stop thinking like that. I might be a problem for her, but only if I chose to be.

“Just distracted,” I said. “More of the same.”

She was quiet for a moment. “That’s not what I hear.”

I let out a soft sigh. “You heard?”

“Stories of an explosion tend to spread in this city, Zaren. And those stories tell of a large man serving the Queen, and a woman, being caught in the blast.” She looked me up and down, as if trying to ascertain whether I had been injured.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“I’m glad. I don’t like the idea of you being hurt.”

“You and me both.”

“What’s going on?”

I snorted. “Honestly, I don’t know. I thought that I had a pretty good idea about what was happening, but the more I learn, the less I understand.”

“So typical for you, isn’t it?”

I laughed. “Unfortunately.”

“Do you have time to sit and eat?”

I wanted to tell Dara I did, but that wouldn’t be true. I could end up with a very different set of threats if I didn’t urgently tackle the problems in front of me. And those problems were already becoming even more acute.

“I don’t know.”

“Why don’t we take a stroll? And you can decide.”

“I could walk,” I said.

Dara laughed. “You always do that,” she said. “I think the better question is, can you stop?”

I thought about what the Queen had asked of me, how she wanted me to serve her and be involved in building the new training compound. If I did those things, it would mean less time on the streets as a Blade. And in a way, maybe that was what she was really trying to tell me, that was what I was supposed to do, because I couldn’t keep serving in the way that I had been. Serving in the palace would take too much of my time, so that I would need to have a different focus.

“I can try,” I said. “But I don’t do it very well, do I?”

“It’s been my experience that you are a capable and competent man. It’s also been my experience that the demands placed on you since you came to the city have been a little different from what you have experienced before. And it has been my experience that you, more than others, might have a hard time letting go.” Dara shrugged. “So I guess that’s my way of saying I don’t know.” She stopped a street vendor and started reaching for her coin purse, but I stopped her.

“I can pay,” I said.

“You don’t always have to do that, Zaren.”

“I don’t mind.”

I didn’t want to say it, but I thought that I had more money than her. Serving the Queen had its benefits, though I didn’t want to brag about them.

“And I don’t mind, either.”

She pushed my hand to the side and paid for some meat-and-vegetable kebabs, some bread, and even a jug of wine. I wasn’t sure how good any of it would be, but she handed me one of the kebabs, and I started eating. I was hungrier than I had realized, and I quickly devoured it, then wiped grease off my chin.

Dara stopped and then started laughing as she regarded me. “I’ve not seen you eat like that before.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Maybe we should’ve gotten you more,” she said, handing me another kebab.

“No. You eat.”

“I think you need it more than I do.” She shrugged. “I’m a lot smaller than you, Zaren.”

“I don’t like that I’m eating and you’re not.”

“I’ll have the bread. And maybe the wine.” She smiled. “You are on the job, after all.”

I laughed and took the other kebab, which I finished just as quickly.

We wandered along the streets, which were more than usually quiet.

“Things feel off,” I said.

“Of course they do,” Dara said. “With everything that we’ve been through, it’s not terribly surprising that people are upset. I think it’s tied to the irritation that some have about the fabrications.”

“Does that bother you?”

“We’ve gone through this, Zaren. You think that I am a minority here in the city. There are more like me in the city than you know.”

“Probably,” I admitted. Hers wasn’t the kind of overt power that Matherin had, and she seemed unable to make the powerful fabrications that he did, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t powerful in her own way. In fact, if not for her, I wouldn’t have realized that Hobell was involved in the conspiracy against the Queen.

“I think it’s one thing to know that the Queen once banished fabrications,” Dara said. “It’s another thing for people to see that their friends and neighbors and people who they live among feel the same way.” She breathed out slowly. “Or maybe they don’t feel that way, but there’s something else at play. Honestly, I just don’t know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t about you. It’s about the city. It’s about everything here.”

“It’s going to change,” I said.

“Because of the fabrications?”

“Maybe, but the Queen’s approach to ruling is changing as well.” I told Dara about the training compound.

“So there are going to be more like you?” she asked.

“Mostly to watch for dangerous weapons.”

“Or to watch for people like me.”

“That’s not it,” I said. “I’m going to be helping with it.” Or doing more than that, I had to admit. Maybe running it. “And I can make sure that⁠—”

“I doubt that you can make sure of anything, Zaren, when it comes to what the Queen wants. If she told you that you had to round up all fabricators in the city, would you? So far, she hasn’t ordered that. But if she did, what would you choose?”

I was quiet, and I knew that was a mistake.

Dara sighed. “See? You don’t even know.”

“I don’t,” I admitted.

“And what if you start looking for those who use a different kind of connection?”

“Is that what you have?”

“I don’t know. I think some like to think of it as fabrication, but it’s not really. It’s different. It’s unique.”

“I wouldn’t do it,” I said.

“You say that to me, but what would you say to her?”

I didn’t have an answer, and she knew it.

“Sometimes I wonder if our lives are just too different, and though we have our time together, maybe that time isn’t really our time so much as it is…” Dara breathed out, looking around. “I really should go. I was only stepping out for a few moments to gather some supplies for Rianal. Then I saw you, and you looked like you needed something.” She leaned over, kissed me on the cheek, and then patted me on the arm. “I hope you don’t get caught in another explosion.”

With that, she turned and left me.

When she was gone, I felt a pang of sadness. We did live different lives, in different parts of the city—in different worlds, for that matter. And everything that I did went against what she did, and what she was.

I didn’t want that, but then, would I be able to do anything about it?

Could I?

Did I even dare?

Now that I had eaten and was feeling a little better, I started wandering again, focusing.

It was late in the day when I began to feel a strange, soft rippling wave of that energy that had been working through the city. Rather than looking for the source of it, however, I focused on where it was rippling toward. And I noticed something. There was a disruption to the wave.

The power was subtle, but it was easy enough for me to pick up on. Eventually, it brought me to a small alleyway. There was a space of approximately one block in size that the rippling wave ignored.

Which was odd.

Either it was emanating from here, or it was drawing toward here. There was another possibility, though it didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Maybe something in this section of the city absorbed the power.

I worked my way down the alley, and when I reached the end, I found that the wall itself seemed different. It struck me as similar to the energy inside the palace grounds.

Was it the same kind of energy?

I drew my blade and held it up against the wall, and I was surprised when there was a slight pressure against the blade. Then there was a soft click, and the entire section of the wall slid open.

Once I stepped through, I was in a courtyard that reminded me a lot of the one I had found Garridan in.

The courtyard was enclosed on all sides, buildings without windows looking into it, and with rooftops that worked over it, shading it so that no tree would grow here. I wondered if people inside the buildings would even know that there was anyone present in the courtyard.

I looked around the area, and as I did, I felt for the resistance. Waves of energy were flowing through here. And more than that, it still rippled, but it rippled quickly past and did not impact this courtyard.

The stone in the center of the courtyard had a unique feature to it.

Writing along the perimeter of the stone caught my attention. I crouched down, and as soon as I did, I picked up on a vague pressure.

I pressed my blade down onto the stone.

Then it started to tremble.

As it shifted, I hopped out of the way and saw a staircase heading down.

And then I paused.

This had to be what Garridan was searching for.

I debated calling him as he had given me something to signal to him. Now there was just the question of whether I should.

First, I had to make sure that it was a signaling device.

And then I would see if there was anything else.

As I headed down the stairs, some of the light from overhead filtered down, granting me enough light to see the passageway. It reminded me somewhat of the passageways beneath the palace, though in some ways, it was different, and not nearly as ornamental. I thought about what the woman in the archive, Milendra, had said about them, but I wondered if this was connected.

The passageway branched off, and I focused to test whether I could find or feel anything.

I felt an emptiness.

A familiar emptiness.

Hurrying toward it, I eventually reached a door. It was simple, metal, fabricated, and it had several symbols etched onto its surface. It was the door that I’d felt, this energy that radiated toward me. It was calling to me, and this, I suspected, was the emptiness that I felt when that power washed out over the city.

Would my blade work?

I pressed it up against the door, and I was surprised when the door came open.

And inside was a massive chamber.

I looked around. There wasn’t much light inside, not nearly enough to see by, but I stepped in.

It was large, maybe two stories high, which meant that it was right below the level of some of the buildings overhead. I couldn’t fathom how that was even possible. There was no other door here, although the walls felt like they were lined with fabrications, as were found on the door. All of this was concealed by the fabrications. That was why Garridan hadn’t been able to find it. And the only way I had felt it was because of that flow of power that had worked toward it, revealing this vague emptiness, where I knew there should have been something else.

In the center of the chamber was an arched stone structure. Nothing else was around it. Although the ground sloped up slightly, as if it had been carved away from the structure. It was like an open doorway.

The Twilight Gate.

I had found it.

But now that I had, what was I supposed to do?

Get rid of it. That was my first instinct.

But if I did, I wouldn’t solve what was happening in the city.

First, I would leave Garridan’s token here and give him a chance to find it, assuming that he could. Then I would bring it to the attention of the Queen and Prince Dorian. Because if nothing else, that was necessary.

And then I would test the other passageways to see if anyone else had come down here. Because if Garridan was looking for this, others were likely doing the same.

But the real question was whether I could do anything to prevent them from reaching it… or whether I should.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ispent more time wandering through the passageways. Given that I had found the massive chamber holding the Twilight Gate, I believed the tunnels might connect to other places within the city. I wasn’t able to find the connections that Milendra had mentioned.

I couldn’t shake another feeling that had plagued me while wandering through the passageways. It was about the type of protection used to defend the gate. A series of fabrications had been placed around it to seal off the power. I needed to ask Matherin about that, and perhaps about the fabrications being transported into the city.

By the time I reached the ground level, I had spent far more time underground than I had intended.

It took me a while to find Asi, but I tracked her Blade ability, and she was still surveying the shoreline. She had stopped in front of a tavern and was waiting for me when I caught up to her.

“We didn’t find much,” she said as I approached. “Unfortunately, whatever they used to cause the explosion was completely destroyed in the process. Probably a fabrication, but your captain friend thinks that it’s entirely possible that they used something else, and that they would’ve been able to mask it. And we lost several sailors.” She shook her head. “From what I can gather, some of them were from Ardem, and some of them were ours.”

I was quiet, staring out over the harbor. The water reflected the sunlight, giving the surface a jeweled appearance. It was really quite lovely, or it would have been under other circumstances.

“The people of Ardem won’t be pleased. We were supposed to provide protection.”

“What have you been doing?”

I filled Asi in on my encounter with Garridan. As I spoke, her expression grew increasingly concerned.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You can’t be serious,” she finally said.

“Why can’t I?”

“I just mean that you can’t be serious about finding a Twilight Gate in the city.”

“I thought they were just from stories.”

She snorted. “Right. You know, I keep forgetting just how little you’ve traveled.”

“And you’re so worldly?”

“More than you. You know, most people who spend any time outside the city encounter remains, ruins, or evidence of passages like that. And here you tell me you’ve found a completely intact Twilight Gate?”

“It was hidden,” I said. “I could show you, but I’m guessing that Garridan will secure it.”

“You are just going to let him do that?”

“I’m not letting him do anything,” I said.

“You aren’t stopping him.”

“I’m not sure I could stop him. You’ve seen how powerful he is. I just have to make sure that he doesn’t cause additional problems for us in the city, or outside it. And I wish that I better understood what kind of power he has.”

“I’ve seen magic like that before.”

“Where?”

It was times like this when I was aware of just how little I knew about the Blade training, the knowledge that Asi often took for granted, and things that I simply had not been exposed to. It was important for me to know more, but in Busal City, I’d been forced to learn things on my own, come up with answers, and had as often as not found that those answers were difficult to find.

“I’ve encountered unusual magic from time to time. Most of the people I’ve come across with that kind of power have had some sort of education.”

“So they go to school for it?”

“Is that so unlikely? I’m not surprised that there would be schools like that, places where people could learn, like how the Blades once had a school.”

“And the army,” I said.

Asi smiled. “If you have a chance to talk to him again, see if he will tell you where he learned his skills. Maybe he’ll even try to pull you in.”

“I’m not sure about that. I’m content with what I can do.”

She laughed. “I have to admit that I’m surprised by you, Zaren. Most people who have any experience with Blades would say that they are surprised by you, and what you’re doing.”

“I have no idea if that’s a good or a bad thing.”

She shrugged. “Why must it be either? Why can’t it just be what it is?”

I snorted. “Anyway, we have the Twilight Gate. But that doesn’t explain the other powers that have been active around the city.”

“Did you ask him about it?”

“I didn’t.”

Asi laughed. “You had your first good lead, and you didn’t look into it?”

“I looked into it, but you know how he can be, how difficult it is to get answers from him. It seems the gate is the power that we’ve been picking up on, though I don’t know if it has been causing the waves of energy. If it has, then…”

“Then something might have come through it?”

“Maybe,” I said.

We were quiet for a while. And in that quiet, I wanted nothing more than to just enjoy a momentary reprieve. I wanted to go about other tasks, but with what was happening in the city, I didn’t know if I would have an opportunity to do them. Maybe I never could. I still had to deal with what the Queen had asked of me with regard to the training compound, but right now that just felt so unimportant.

“I’m going to talk to the constables and the Investigators to warn them that we need to be ready for a possible attack, but I need to talk to Dorian as well, to see if we can’t get some Empyreans to help. What are you going to do?”

Asi looked across the harbor bridge, over to her section of the city. “I think I’ve been gone long enough, and I need to get back. If I feel anything, or if I find anything, I’ll let you know. Are you all right with that?”

“I suppose,” I said.

“You suppose?” she said, shaking her head. “You know, Zaren, you can be incredibly difficult.” She laughed, and then she headed toward the bridge.

I took the opportunity to wander the city. I attempted to sense any unusual power. Even as I maneuvered through the city, I was not able to find anything. It was empty.

Quiet.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something.

And it was time I visited Matherin.

Matherin’s shop was in a small building situated in the shadows of the palace. Small shrubs surrounded the building, and the air around it had a distinct odor, that of hot metal and a spicy fragrance, which I had always found to be unique. Up close, I was able to pick up on the contours of power that Matherin was working with, even if I wasn’t sure what he was doing with it. Today was no different.

As I approached, the door opened, as if Matherin had been anticipating me. This wasn’t the first time that he had done that.

He regarded me, frowning. “When are we supposed to meet today?”

“Nothing scheduled. I had a question about something,” I said.

“If it is anything to do with the fabrications coming into the city, I don’t know if I can answer that. I have been studying them, as the Queen has asked, because⁠—”

“Let me guess. Because she wants to know if you can re-create some of them?”

Matherin nodded. “Ardem has some skilled fabricators, so she thought that if it were to come down to a loss of supply, I could replicate the fabrications myself.”

“And can you?”

“For the most part,” he said, letting out a soft sigh and wiping his hands on his leather apron. “Most of them are complex, though. And they take time to reverse engineer. That is, assuming that we even have the necessary supplies. Fabrications are tricky like that, you know.”

From my lessons with Matherin, I had come to learn that there were specific compounds within fabrications that made them both easier and harder to make. And whatever fabrications he was dealing with, most of the time, he could test the compounds and structures inside them, so that he could pick up on the contours of magic. But then, knowing what I did of Ardem, and the fabrications they created, I couldn’t help but feel they would have a different way of manufacturing their fabrications.

“Can I come in?” I asked.

Matherin dusted off his hands on his heavy leather apron, looking at me as if deciding whether I would cause him more problems. “I suppose you can. Just don’t touch anything on my workbench.”

I stepped into his shop. It was awash with pale arcane lantern light, and the smell of heated metal and some spice permeated everything. It was far more potent inside.

Littered across his desk were a half-dozen fabrications in various states of deconstruction. He had obviously been taking them apart, and I could feel some of the power from his attempts to do so.

“Impressive,” I said.

“Right now, I would argue that it is not impressive so much as it is frustrating. I have not been able to find the answers I’m looking for. Now, do you care to tell me what has brought you here? Obviously, something is on your mind. I know that we’ve been dealing with some unpleasantness out in the city, and I wish that I were able to help you with it, but unfortunately, it seems I can do nothing about that. I can provide some means of protection, but even with that, there is a limit.”

“It’s not that,” I said. “I found something in the city.”

“Oh?” Matherin turned his attention toward the fabrications on his workbench. “And what was that?”

“Something that reminded me of what you used on Waleith.”

“Oh?” He was pulling a top off one of the fabrications.

“Except this was a door. And beyond the door was something surprising.”

“Wait,” he said, setting his hands on his workbench. He looked up at me. “You didn’t open it, did you?”

“Why?”

“Did you open it, Zaren?”

“I did⁠—”

Before I had a chance to tell Matherin that I hadn’t been the first one to open it, and that Garridan had been in there, he raced over to the door.

“Sacred Souls,” he muttered. “You don’t know what you released.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Ididn’t release anything. The Twilight Gate was closed, and⁠—”

“Closed for now,” Matherin said, leaning on his workbench and chewing on his lower lip. “I worry that won’t always be the case. What happens if whatever is in there is released?”

“It’s a transition to the fae realm.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because…” I frowned. My answer had been based on what Garridan had said. “Is it something else?”

“When I was younger, I was told stories about the Twilight Gates. And I was told that dangerous creatures could come through them. They came from another world, and when they escaped, they would hunt down those who had any power that they believed was stolen.”

I watched him. “You can’t believe that, Matherin. That’s just a story.”

“And your stories about the fae are not?”

“I suppose…”

“The fae, the creatures from the gate, they are all a type of folktale. But all that I know is that the gates are dangerous. There’s a reason that they were destroyed.”

“So you’re concerned about the reason this one was not destroyed.”

“As you should be. There are protections around it, I presume?”

I nodded. “Similar to what you did with Waleith’s trunk.”

“Yes. That would be the case. That is actually where I learned about those protections. I am surprised that you found it, though, and it might be my own fault for not warning you. Again, I didn’t think there would be a need. I didn’t expect you to find it.”

“Because it’s masked from me?”

“It should be,” he said.

“What if I told you that there have been waves of magical energy pulsing through the city for a while?” I said.

“What do you mean, waves?”

Matherin had already pushed open the door, and outside, a pair of Empyreans patrolled through the yard. One was familiar to me, a short, brown-haired man who had a stocky build, and he tipped his head in a polite nod.

“When I got back to Busal City, Asi told me that these magical waves had been prevalent for a while. Probably since shortly after I left, but I can’t confirm that.”

“And you have been able to pick up on these?”

“I’ve felt them,” I said. “And I am concerned about them.”

He inhaled. “Where do they come from?”

“That’s just it. We haven’t been able to track down a source.”

“And what do you think that means?”

I laughed. “You know, Matherin, I realize that I am a Blade, but there are quite a few things I don’t know about my ability. With the protests and other power in the city, and the Queen asking me to ready a new training compound, I haven’t been able to focus on it.”

“Perhaps it is just a distraction.”

“The protests?”

“The delegation. The fabrications. The protests. They might all be distractions.”

“For what reason?”

“To distract you.”

“Well, it’s working,” I said. “But it hasn’t made much difference, because I found this gate.”

“And did you open it?”

“I didn’t need to.”

“Good,” he said, breathing out heavily. “Perhaps it is still safe.”

I had never felt that Matherin overreacted. He was skilled. He was a gifted fabricator, and I had come to rely upon all his creations, but his reaction to the Twilight Gate, and the danger that he believed the gate posed, struck me as unusual.

And though I didn’t know if I could trust Garridan, I hoped he wouldn’t mislead me about something like this.

“I will make preparations,” Matherin declared.

“Good,” I said. I had been tempted to argue with him that it wasn’t necessary, and that his fear about the gate was misplaced, but if it inspired him to manufacture more protections, then that wasn’t so bad after all. “I will make my preparations as well.”

He stepped back into his shop. I hadn’t seen this side of Matherin before. And as I watched him disappear, I couldn’t help but feel I really did need to know more about the Twilight Gate.

As I left Matherin, something that he had said stayed with me.

A distraction.

His theory made some sense.

But there was one person in particular that I wanted to ask about the gate. She clearly knew things.

I found my way back to the archive.

I was curious about what I was going to find. Milendra had hidden things from me. Things that constituted crucial knowledge at the time, but now that I had a different set of questions, I wondered what more she would be willing to tell me.

The archive was quiet.

I headed through the antechamber and to the double doors.

Something felt different. Inside the antechamber, there had previously been a deadening of power. This time, however, when I felt that effect, I was left with a vague sense of unease, a troubling feeling.

The door opened slowly. There was no sense of power inside, nothing to suggest any dangerous energy. Just an emptiness that I had not particularly felt before.

“Hello?” I called.

There was no answer. I headed inside, past a row of bookshelves and a table. I didn’t feel any undercurrent of power, just that there was a strange, muted aura around me.

“Milendra?” I called.

I didn’t see her. I didn’t feel anything unusual.

I kept moving through the archive. I paused at one point, looking up at a towering stack of books, and if I had ever been inclined to read, this was a place that would have drawn me. My mother would have loved it. She had always loved reading, and despite the fact that she had needed to run the farm after my father had been deployed, she had always found time for books. It was a wonder her appreciation had not rubbed off on me.

“May I help you?” a meek voice said from behind me, and I turned to see a short, gray-haired, balding man with thick spectacles looking up at me.

“Are you the archivist?”

“I am,” he said, adjusting his dark blue jacket. A small fabrication pin gleamed on his lapel. It was not quite like mine, and I doubted it would defend him against physical attacks, but it did mark him as a member of the household.

“My name is Zaren Joha, and I am the Queen’s Blade.” I watched him, testing for any sign of recognition. I was concerned about what he might do and, I had to admit, about what I might pick up on. Nothing in his features alarmed me, and his diminutive size was nothing to be concerned about, but I had learned to be careful.

“Yes, Mr. Joha, I am well aware of who you are. Prince Dorian did inform me that you had some questions about the history of the city. He asked me to ensure that you had those questions answered. Is that what you are doing here?” The look in his eyes was one of skepticism as he sized me up.

“I was here a few days ago,” I said, wondering if this was the Norind that Milendra had mentioned. “I spoke to another archivist. A woman named Milendra.”

His frown deepened. “Milendra?” He shook his head. “I’m afraid that we do not have a Milendra here.”

“Are you sure? She’s a tall woman. A little strange. She was showing me some of the defenses around the archive.”

The man snorted. “Defenses? I’m afraid this is not like the palace. The archive is a place of value, but not one that would warrant an attack. I’m not sure who you spoke with, but she is not with the archive. There are three of us, and I am the most senior archivist. I would have known if somebody else had been here.”

This was all quite odd.

Then again, there had been something decidedly odd about Milendra. Maybe I could still get answers here, though. Then I could figure out if she was someone to be concerned about.

“Well, I am looking for any information you have about the city. Particularly about the foundations of the city. I understand that it was built upon Inarak ruins.”

The archivist laughed. “Rumors,” he said, waving his hand. “And we have been dealing with that type of rumor for quite a long time now. If that is the kind of thing that you’re interested in, I would encourage you to go to one of the libraries in the city itself. Some of the folktales there are more detailed than what we have here.”

I arched a brow at him. “Folktales?”

“That’s what you’re talking about, Mr. Joha. Folktales. There is nothing to those rumors. The city is old, but the Inarak…” He shook his head.

“Anything that you might have about the foundations of the palace itself and what it has been built upon would be helpful. I’m looking for any old maps.”

“Yes. I can help you with that, and I can have them delivered to you in the palace, if you’d like.”

“Only to the palace?”

“Records from the archive do not leave the palace grounds,” he said.

I wasn’t going to push on this, because I was unlikely to win.

“Thank you. Leave them in the palace, and I will find them.”

“If that is all, Mr. Joha…”

The way that he spoke suggested that this was all he wanted to deal with.

But there was more here. Whatever was going on with this Milendra was odd, and I had to look into that more. But I couldn’t even see where she had guided me toward the stairs. Just the wall.

So who was she, and how had she known how to navigate the archive?

Chapter Twenty-Six

Iwasn’t sure how to approach my investigation into Milendra. I doubted that somebody had tried to invade the palace grounds simply to get into the archive. It was possible, I had to acknowledge, but it struck me as unlikely to be solely about the archives. There would be other places to glean such knowledge. Maybe Milendra was a scholar looking for information, but if that were the case, then how would she have known how to guide me into the lower levels of the palace, and how would she have known about the Inarak nature of the city?

Those were questions I didn’t have time to answer.

There was another protest, an event that was becoming a perpetual issue. It was due to another ship coming into port, carrying more Ardemian fabrications. The constables managed to secure the ship, and the transportation of the fabrications to the palace itself went as smoothly as possible. I observed the operation, making sure that nobody attacked, and though there was no violence, there was still an aura of anger hanging over the harbor.

Although I understood the sentiment, I remained surprised that there had been such an uproar about the importation of fabrications, and I still wasn’t sure what to make of it.

When the fabrications had been fully secured inside the palace walls, only then did I relax.

I found Matherin outside his shop, watching the procession. I approached, and he continued to frown.

“I suppose the timing of the fabrications is fortuitous,” he said, “but it is also unfortunate. I intend to study them, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to analyze them quite as thoroughly as I would like.”

“Why not?”

“The investigation of fabrications involves the destruction of the fabrications. I have tried less destructive methods, but unfortunately, I do not have the necessary skill with Ardemian constructs to be successful.”

“I didn’t realize that fabrications were so unique.”

“I have shown you my technique for designing fabrications, and some of the compounds involved in them. But every school of fabrication has its own philosophy on how to manufacture them, the techniques and the supplies that go into it. It is an art as much as it is a science. And then you have to power the fabrications.”

“How do you power them?”

Matherin regarded me, but he didn’t answer.

I hadn’t even considered that, but Matherin must inject power into his fabrications. Maybe not my blade, or the blades that he had given to Asi and Ellie, as those had been, as he had described, raw fabrications.

The fabrications that he made for the household and the Empyreans all obviously had some power to them. There was a purpose to that, and a technique, that I had not even considered asking about.

“I don’t know when the next shipment is coming in,” I said.

“I believe the frequency will be once a week, but they’ve been coming in more frequently now,” Matherin said. “At least at first. I did hear some conversation concerning the safety of the fabrications, and slowing the import, but so far, there has not been any attempt to do so. I don’t know if there will be at any point in time.”

“Good,” I said.

“Interesting for a Blade to say.”

“Well, considering how much I had to do to ensure the success of the agreement, I don’t want the transfer of the fabrications to fall apart.”

“I suppose that is reasonable.”

“Say,” I said, “I don’t suppose you’ve seen any strange people on the palace grounds?”

Matherin’s mouth turned down in a frown. “Stranger than the Empyreans that gather here as if this were their playground?”

“Is that strange?”

“It is not so much these days, but it is compared to what it was like previously.” Before I had come, he didn’t say, but then again, I didn’t need him to, because I knew that there was much that was different now that I was in the city, since I had come into my position. “But no. I have not seen any strangers. Is there anyone in particular you are looking into?”

“Just an archivist⁠—”

Matherin started laughing.

“What?”

“They are a unique group. And they have scholars that come and go from time to time, as the library here is one of the most robust and impressive in Busal. Not compared to some foreign cities, but certainly for quite some distance. And I would imagine unique volumes can be found here.”

“Maybe it was just a traveling scholar,” I said.

Only it didn’t feel like that. Milendra had seemed to know the archive and had seemed to claim ownership over it. That was not the kind of thing that a traveling scholar would have done.

“I can keep an eye out, if you’d like. I might even be able to create a fabrication that would allow me to detect if anyone traveling through the palace grounds is dangerous.”

“And how would you power that?”

Matherin frowned at me. “I have taught you about the manufacturing of fabrications and the engineering behind them. But there are limits to how much I’m willing to share.”

“Of course,” I said. “I wouldn’t dare accuse you of anything.”

“Were you accusing me?”

“No,” I said. “Merely asking.”

He laughed. “I doubt that you merely do anything.”

I shrugged. “I’m going to need your help at some point.”

He arched a brow. “You need my help often, it seems.”

“This is a little different. I’ll need your help with fabrications.”

“What kind?”

“Some that you make, some that you think will be representative samples out of Ardem, and even anything more unique or perhaps interesting might be beneficial.”

“Interesting?”

“Once we get the training compound built.”

“Ah. I have heard that you are involved in that. I didn’t know if there was much merit to the rumor, as there is often little meat to such rumors. Are you telling me that it is true?”

“Mostly true,” I said. “In the early phases. The Queen has some land outside the city that she thinks would make for an ideal place to build the compound. And I’m working on it. Eventually, when it does get built, I’m going to need example fabrications to train Blades.”

“I would be happy to make representative samples. I do agree that there is a need to train Blades, and it can be difficult to learn about fabrications.”

“Did you provide Waleith with the fabrications he used to train me?”

“That one was interesting. He would come when he wanted something, but he rarely commissioned protective fabrications. Your blade. That was it.”

“I didn’t realize.”

“I just thought it was a quirk of the man,” he said, dropping his voice. “Unfortunately.”

“There were many quirks,” I said.

“He isolated us,” Matherin said. “And he isolated the city, but I suppose the city had already been isolated from fabrications for a long time.”

“It had. You talked about schools of thought, and I don’t know anything about where you trained.”

“It is far from here,” he said.

“And that’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“The Queen knows, and that is enough.”

“I see. Well, I appreciate your help.”

He snorted. “I always enjoy our talks, Mr. Joha. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some work to do.”

He ducked back into his workshop before I had a chance to ask many more questions, but I was going to need to get some work done as well.

Now that the fabrications were secured behind the palace walls, it was time for me to go and do something else.

But what?

Not the fabrications. Not the archivist. The strange gate, then, and searching for answers about it.

As I often did these days, I made a circuit around the city, testing for any surges of power. I didn’t identify anything more than I had before. There was certainly no ongoing pressure or rippling of fabricated energy that I could pick up on. There was nothing dangerous here at all, for that matter. The city had gone quiet.

This troubled me, especially after Garridan’s warning.

When I reached the harbor, I checked on the ship that had just come into port. Protesters were still gathered along the harbor front, but they were not nearly as violent or agitated as they had been. I didn’t know how long we would have before the protesters decided to take a different approach, but more important was discovering what they were doing here, and perhaps who they were working with. In my mind, they were obviously working with somebody, but what was their purpose in instigating this violence?

“Taking a break?” Asi asked, striding over to me.

I chuckled. I had felt her coming. But these days, I was feeling less and less. I didn’t know if it was a failing in me or if she was masking her presence. If it was her, I wondered if I might be able to do something similar. I didn’t have much experience with masking, but the concept seemed reasonable enough to try it.

“We had another shipment come in,” I said.

“I saw,” she said, pointing to the far side of the harbor. “I tend to stay over there—not that we have any protests. My side is quiet. I only come over here to visit you.”

“Maybe it’s time that we reassigned you.”

“We don’t have many Blades as it is.”

“Not many? I think that you and I are the last.”

“Maybe,” she said, but then she quickly changed the topic. “I wasn’t keeping track of who might have survived, anyway. I wonder if there might have been a signal.”

When I frowned, she explained.

“I’ve been trying to find an explanation for what I detected while you were gone. I still haven’t been able to pick up on anything. Maybe this gate isn’t the key.”

“I don’t know. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it than I know. The timing is too suspect, as is Garridan’s appearance.”

“You put a lot of stock in his movements.”

“He knows things. And yes, I’m well aware that he tends to hand out information unofficially, although I don’t know if it’s beneficial just to him or to the entire Guild.” The one thing that I’d had to ask him about was the division within the Guild. Something was amiss there. With what had happened in Ardem, and what Benjamin had been involved in, I should have asked other questions. Unfortunately, I had been caught up with his sudden appearance and then the Twilight Gate. “But I do think that he’s trying to guide me in a way.”

“Should we go look at it?”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, I’ve not seen an intact Twilight Gate before.”

“I thought you said that you knew about them.”

“Oh, I know about them, but I’ve never seen one. I didn’t realize that any were still intact and could be found here.”

“It wouldn’t hurt for you to see it, so that you can keep an eye on anybody heading there.”

“From my side of the city?” Asi asked with a laugh.

“Fine. So that you can let me know if you detect anything.”

“Show me the way.”

“It’s strange,” I said. “When I found Garridan, he guided me to an old part of the city. There was a door, a courtyard, a tall tree, and I think that he was trying to suggest a way for me to find more. I am not sure, though.”

“A tree?”

“There was a tree, but the courtyard, the door, all of it struck me as old compared to the rest of the city.”

As Inarak features, I didn’t add.

I motioned for Asi to follow, and we reached the alley, where I paused, looking along the street to check no one was watching and no fabrications were active nearby. There was no sign of any fabrications, or any other energy.

So we headed up the alley, reached the wall, and I pressed my blade up against it. As soon as I did, there was a click, and the wall slid to the side.

Asi’s breath caught. “I would never have thought about that,” she said.

“I almost missed it,” I said. “I could feel a subtle power here. It took me a while to realize it came from the stone, and the sense that I picked up is not that dissimilar to what I feel inside the palace. I think this might be Inarak. But I don’t know if this is the only place, or if there are other places that we might be able to reach.”

We stepped in and paused in the courtyard. The door slipped closed again.

I pointed to the section of stone in the center of the courtyard.

“This is like finding a puzzle,” she said.

“It’s kind of like that,” I said. “Because I started focusing on what else was here, and I’m starting to pick up on the unusual contours. I don’t quite know whether I was meant to find or be guided to something here.”

If Garridan could have found the Twilight Gate, he would have, and he would not have involved me. So I didn’t know what to make of that.

After using my blade again to activate the doorway, we headed down the stairs, down the hallway, and reached the other door.

Asi paused in front of it. She tipped her head to the side. “This feels like Waleith’s box.”

“Exactly. It’s protection.”

“Are we supposed to remove it?”

“Not sure about that one. If you asked Matherin, he’d say no.”

But right now, we needed to know, and I did need to show her.

I pressed the blade up against the door, activating the fabrication, or perhaps deactivating it, and then stepped inside.

The chamber was dim, and I could feel a peculiar energy flowing around, but I wasn’t sure what I was picking up on. It was tied not only to the gate but to the chamber itself.

When the door closed behind us, Asi breathed in slowly. “It silences so much,” she said in a whisper. “I can scarcely feel anything. It’s like everything went quiet. I can’t even imagine how you felt this.”

“I’m not sure I did,” I said. “I felt the doorway, the tunnel, and I felt something else, but I’m not sure that I felt this. I don’t know how I could have.”

In here was an emptiness, a quiet, vague feeling that left me thinking there was nothing more.

At least, that was what it was at first.

But then I realized something.

There was light in this chamber that there had not been before. And it took me a moment to realize why, and what it was.

The Twilight Gate had started to glow.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Uh, Zaren?” Asi said. The gate was vibrating with energy, but it was not an energy I was familiar with. “The gate is glowing.”

“Somebody must have activated it, right?” I turned, looking around the room.

“How would somebody have activated it? And if they have, what does that even mean?”

I had no idea.

“Could Garridan have done it?” she asked.

“Maybe. I don’t really know what it’s doing.”

“Do you think something could be coming from the other side?”

I took a step back, testing the gate, thinking about the stories that Matherin had shared.

I wasn’t sure if I believed them, but then, could I believe what Garridan had shared? Maybe both had been telling the truth.

“If it’s opening, we need to make sure that nothing comes out,” I said.

Asi looked over. “Really? You think the two of us can handle fae power if it manages to sneak through?”

“Honestly?” I asked. “I have no idea. I don’t know what fae power can do.”

“When I was at the training compound, we were told stories about the fae, Zaren.”

“Now is the time to share those with me,” I said.

“They were about dangerous magic that we were never going to ever have to deal with. Most commonly we would deal with fabrications, and occasionally we would deal with individuals with innate power, but even that was considered unlikely.” She shook her head. “This…”

The gate still hadn’t done anything other than glow. That seemed reassuring.

But how were we going to stop it from doing more?

“What stories do you know about the Twilight Gates?” I asked.

“I don’t know. They are tied to the fae. That’s what I always heard. And I know that they used to spend more time in our world.”

“You mean the Inarak,” I said.

She frowned. “I suppose. They served the fae, after all. So they must have brought them here. There was evidence of the Inarak all around where I traveled. At least, after I became a Blade.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen any evidence of them.”

“How? There are ruins everywhere. I mean, this city is built on the ruins of the Inarak. And…” Asi bit her lip. “Maybe people with power like Garridan’s are tied to them. I mean, there has always been speculation about people of power, how they are able to wield that power. Some people believe they are just born that way. Fabricators obviously have a talent, and there are others who have minor talents that can be used in the manufacture of fabrications.”

I didn’t say it, but I immediately thought of Dara, what she was able to do with her fabrications, the way that she was able to manipulate metal. There was something significant to that technique, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“And yet there are others,” Asi went on, as if she had not even noticed my lack of response, “who have a different kind of power. Something even more significant. I’ve never encountered any of those people on my own, not like you have. You spoke of this Talina, who was here in the city before, and then we both encountered Garridan. I remember the power he had when he held us.” She shivered.

I had been thinking about Garridan, but I had not given much thought to Talina. She had claimed that these lands were her familial lands. And knowing that the palace and parts of the city were built upon Inarak ruins made me question whether she was Inarak. And she had a connection to power that she probably wouldn’t have been capable of otherwise. I had seen it. I had felt it.

What if there had been others like her in Busal City?

Inarak coming here could put us all into danger and could pit a unique kind of magic against the city, one that they might know how to wield better than we knew how to wield fabrication magic, as they may have an affinity with power that we could not match.

I shook those thoughts aside, because none of them were going to help us at this point.

“I don’t want to destroy the gate,” I said. I wasn’t even sure that we could. But I didn’t want to destroy it until I knew whether it was dangerous. And I remained curious about what we might learn from the Twilight Gate. It might teach us something about the city and its founders that could help me better understand its protections, that might provide me with a unique opportunity. “Not that I think we could. But I’d like to deactivate it.”

“If we do,” Asi said, and I could tell from her tone that she wasn’t convinced, either, “we will need to find some way to seal it off. Do you think Matherin could do that?”

“There have to be fabrications that we could place around it.”

Although as I said this, I wasn’t entirely sure if I believed it. Fabrications might not be enough against this kind of power. But as I didn’t know what kind of power was here, we had to be cautious.

“Do we use our blades?” Asi asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know. You think it might harm us?”

“Couldn’t say. Probably, though.”

I snorted. “Great. Maybe we start with our blades.”

“Then where do we put them? On the gate? Or do you think there’s some part around the base or in the stone? Or maybe there’s some sort of lock…”

We didn’t have a chance to discuss our strategy further. The gate started to flicker.

There was a rhythm to it. I thought about the waves of power that we had experienced. This was not the same, but there was a similar rhythmic nature to it that I couldn’t quite shake.

“Can we close it inside this chamber?” I asked, looking around before locking my gaze on the doorway. “Will that be enough?”

Even as I asked, I had very little belief that the fabrications around the chamber would be enough to contain the power I felt. This was potent. With each wave of energy that washed out from the gate, I felt it deep inside as a pulsation, my heartbeat pounding in time with the flickering of energy from the gate.

“I’m open to suggestions,” I said.

“We do like you said,” Asi said.

I sighed. We just needed to place our blades on the Twilight Gate, right?

I brought my blade over to the gate. I didn’t know if I could stop it, and I certainly did not want to destroy it. Mostly because I had no idea if that would be dangerous. There was great power in the gate, and destroying it might release some of that power, causing an explosion. Magical explosions were almost certainly dangerous. Deadly, in fact.

My blade vibrated in my hand against the gate.

“I don’t like the way this feels,” Asi said, standing on the other side of it.

The stone-and-metal archway spanned the space between us. There was a smooth contour to it, and the lettering along the perimeter of the stone seemed to be absorbing some of the light, causing a glow all throughout the chamber. Everything about it struck me as unique and quite powerful.

And there was that pulsing.

Like my heartbeat, the pulsing of the gate started to intensify.

“Sometimes it feels like it’s reacting to me,” I muttered.

“Or me,” Asi said.

Her jaw was clenched. She had her blades crossed in front of her.

And I held my blade up against the stone. I didn’t know if it would even make a difference.

The energy continued to build, pressing outward. Anything that I did here needed to involve more of that energy somehow. And as I pressed my power up against it, I could feel the rippling wave, and I could feel the way that it threatened to overpower me. I had no idea if what I was doing would even be enough.

But our efforts weren’t working here.

I could tell they weren’t.

There might be another way, though.

“Go to the other side,” I said.

“You want me to go around?” Asi asked.

“Just get to the other side, and see if there’s any power there.”

It started to ripple again. The power was threatening to push through. What was it building for?

If the gate opened, what would come out? Fae? Or something worse?

There was a haze around us.

“Let’s work together. We combine our Blade abilities, see if we can’t shut this down.”

“And if it draws us in?”

Her voice sounded muted coming from the other side, but I could feel it.

“We have to just fight through it.”

“That sounds great. You know, you are a lot bigger than me, so if anybody is going to have an easier time fighting through the power and getting dragged through one of these gates, it’s going to be you.”

I laughed. “I learned something when I was in Ardem. It’s something that might help us both now. I was able to do it when I had so much power around me.”

“Is now really the time, Zaren?”

“I think so. I think we both need to do this. Focus on feeling that power as it flows over you.” However, flowing over us wasn’t really the proper description. Instead, it felt more like it was pulsing with me, causing my power to ripple and react with it. “You have to focus on how much magic is around you, and then you push against it.”

“I know how to be a Blade,” she said.

“It’s not just being a Blade. It’s fighting past an enormous amount of power. This is different.”

I began to push.

As I did, there was a disconnect from what I felt inside, the pulsation that pounded in time with my heartbeat, and what I felt radiating from the gate. It was as if the energy was fighting me.

“I’m trying,” Asi said. “But it doesn’t seem to like it.”

“I don’t like it, either,” I said.

“I feel it,” she grunted. “And…”

A wave of pale light washed across the gate.

For a moment, I thought it was going to open. Maybe Asi was right, and it would suck me, or perhaps both of us, into the gate.

Then the gate sealed shut again.

There was a wave of power, and then everything fell silent and still.

I breathed out heavily and looked around. Nothing about this chamber felt the way that it had before. No longer was that faint hum of magical activity.

“Well,” Asi said, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow and coming around the gate. She didn’t look quite as hazy as she had before. So whatever she had done, or whatever the two of us had done, had changed that much, at least. “What now?”

I made a circuit around the gate. In the process, I felt some of the energy. It was difficult not to, much like it was difficult for me to ignore the energy inside the palace, or even on the palace grounds. It had to be the Inarak energy, that power that was tied to this type of magic in particular.

What was odd, however, was it didn’t feel like what I remembered of Talina.

I wasn’t sure that I remembered exactly how she felt. However, I had been around her a few times, so there should be a familiarity.

“Somehow, we have to keep others from getting to this gate.”

“Right,” Asi said. “Because we don’t want this active again.”

“I don’t know who came through here, though,” I said.

“What if somebody or something is activating it from the other side?”

The idea sent a shiver down my spine. “I hope not. I don’t know if we could handle that kind of power. We barely managed to close this down.”

Asi moved away to march around the chamber. “There are fabrications here. I can’t tell how old they are, but they strike me as carrying a specific signature. I think we should be able to understand it, because nothing about them strikes me as particularly new. Or unique. Maybe they are concealing. Or maybe they are protective. I can’t say with much certainty.”

As I started toward her, I noticed a distant rhythmic power flowing toward us.

I paused. “Do you feel that?”

“I feel it. It is faint, though, and it reminds me of what I have been feeling throughout the city ever since you left.”

“Did it start right when I left or later?”

“Does the timing make that much difference?”

“Maybe not, but the timing does allow us to question what might be responsible here.”

“You can worry about that later,” she said. “Let’s close the gate off, in case whatever is out there is trying to find it.”

We stepped through the door, pulling it closed, and then I focused. There was an emptiness. The energy of the gate shifted, as if it reached the door and then faded.

I couldn’t help but feel the fabrications were the key to shutting down the gate and concealing it, at least until we had a better idea of who was after it.

Because either someone was after it, or someone was coming through it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Once back in the daylight, I felt the rhythmic power again.

It was building, rising with a vibrant intensity, sweeping toward us. It was almost as if it were aware of what we had done, and the power was upset about us having attempted—or maybe succeeded in—closing down the gate.

Asi stood next to me. She gripped her blades, as I did. “It’s coming here.”

“Seems that way to me as well,” I said.

I started tracking it, thinking that if nothing else, I might be able to uncover a contour that would help me know in which direction the power was moving, and if I could find that, I might even be able to follow it. But try as I might, I wasn’t able to lock on to it.

“We’ve gone through this before, Zaren. We track it and come up empty. Whatever is out there is beyond our ability to follow.”

And as much as it frustrated me, I knew that she was right. And it really did frustrate me.

I paused. “It’s all tied to this gate, though. Could we be picking up on something coming through?”

“Sacred Souls, I hope not,” Asi said.

When I looked over, she shrugged.

“Think about it,” she said. “We don’t know what kind of power the gate has, and we certainly don’t know what might be able to come through it. If it’s something potent enough that it can move in a way that we identify, I…” She breathed out and then shivered. “I hope not.”

“I think we’re going to have to do a little research,” I said.

“Are you sure that we are the right people for this? I know that there probably aren’t others who can look into it, but⁠—”

“Who else can do this?” I turned to her. “The Investigators? This is too much for them. This isn’t just a fabrication. This is an ancient power, something that I doubt either of us will be able to handle, at least if it continues to build. The constables certainly can’t. And if we bring the Empyreans into it, it just becomes an issue of who leads.”

“Then where do you think to get the information? It’s not like we have a magical repository.”

She wasn’t wrong. And I wondered if I should have gotten more from Garridan. He was after this Twilight Gate, after all.

And maybe he had wanted us to find it.

If so, what would we be able to do now that we had?

Secure it?

It would involve fabrications to truly secure the gate, and even if we had fabrications, there was no guarantee that we would have the right fabrications to handle what was coming. More than fabrications, though, there might be a role for soldiers.

“I think it’s time to start coordinating everyone,” I said. “We can station soldiers around the entrance to the gate, and we can use the Empyreans to prevent anybody from gaining access to it. That way, we can at least ensure that we know who’s trying to gain access to it.”

“But other than the usual power, everything we’ve detected has originated underground, Zaren.”

“Only the magical elements,” I said. “And if it’s all tied to the gate, then it makes sense that what we have detected underground is just those magical elements. So maybe there are nonmagical elements that we have to deal with.”

There was another buildup of that rhythmic power, sweeping outward.

This time, however, I felt something about it. It came from outside the city and swept toward us, or at least toward where we were.

And an idea occurred to me.

“What if it’s trying to find these fabrications?” I looked at Asi. “Maybe it is trying to damage them so that whoever is looking for the gate can free it, so they can track it down.”

“Do you think that’s even possible?”

I snorted. “I think there are a lot of things that I have no idea about when it comes to magic. This is so far removed from anything that I have experienced in the time that I’ve been in Busal City that I cannot answer that with any real certainty. Let’s get protections in place, and then we can concentrate on tracking this magic. We can listen to what’s happening, focus on it, see how it’s building, and perhaps see who is responsible for it.”

But even as I focused, there was some element within it that was beyond me. There was a potency that I couldn’t ignore, a power that was building.

Yet if I could follow that…

If I could follow it, then I might find who, or at least what, was responsible for this.

I unsheathed my blade and made my way through the streets, sensing that faint flow of power. It was subtle, which made it difficult for me to track it easily. My sword, however, allowed me to concentrate some of my power so that I could test it much more clearly. And I could feel it mostly flowing from beneath the ground and moving away from us.

As I turned toward it, I struggled to make sense of why I could feel it as clearly as I could, but some part of it obviously lingered here.

Asi crouched down, running her hand along the ground. “Do you really think they would have battered at it like that?”

“Honestly, I have no idea what would have been done. I feel it, but beyond what I feel, there is an emptiness here. I have been trying to make sense of it, but I don’t know if the emptiness is tied to what we have detected from the fabrications around it, or if there is something else.”

I got up to move away.

I found a pair of my Investigators on their patrol, and I slowed. Lastin was a reliable Investigator, and it didn’t surprise me that he was paired up with Henry. The two of them looked at me and then Asi as we approached.

“Anything wrong here, Blade?”

“Still trying to decide,” I said. “Have you, or any of the others, detected anything?”

“Nothing that has needed your input. Why?”

Henry shot him a look before turning to me. “Everything’s been quiet, so nothing to be concerned about. Other than the protests, but those are nothing new.”

“This would be beneath the ground. I’m looking for anything that you or your fabrications might have detected that would reveal a certain movement of power. I’m not sure what it is, but it would be subtle.”

“Movement?” Lastin asked.

“Beneath the ground.”

His eyes widened. “Like some sort of creature?” He looked at Henry. “Can you imagine what would happen if we dealt with a magical creature? I can’t⁠—”

“This isn’t a magical creature,” I said. It was better that they believed that, even if I wasn’t sure if I did. Until I knew, I was going to be careful about what I revealed.

Henry shook his head.

“So no reason to overreact,” I said. “Did you hear that?”

“I heard.”

“There’s something going on,” I said, “and it’s going to involve all of us taking a very different approach in monitoring the city.”

“If you’d like, I can let Jos know,” Lastin said.

It wasn’t a bad idea. Jos would need to know, anyway, as I had to make sure that all my Investigators were involved, so that they could all be prepared. Besides, until we really understood what was going on with this Twilight Gate, we would need to exercise additional caution. I nodded.

“I’ll let him know,” Lastin said.

“And get the constables to patrol with you,” I said.

He frowned at me. “It’s like that?”

“I don’t know. Hope not, but I just want to be cautious.”

Lastin glanced at Asi, and I could see the question in his eyes. A pair of Blades patrolling together. Something uncertain, and potentially dangerous, coming, and I was telling him to get the constables involved. It was enough to worry anybody, especially a smart Investigator who had seen some things.

Once they set off, Asi said, “Are you sure that you wanted to tell them all that?”

“It doesn’t make sense to keep things from them, especially since neither of us really knows what we might be facing here. And I find that they tend to respond better when they feel like they are involved.”

“Oh, I’m not disagreeing with that, I just wanted to make sure that it was the right play.” She sighed. “Now what?”

Distantly I could still feel that rippling, the waves of power.

“Now I think we focus on whether we can trace some element of this power,” I said.

“And if we can’t?”

“If not, then we start tracking down the protesters, and the woman who was involved.”

“It’s always something, isn’t it?”

She wasn’t wrong, and I didn’t like the idea that we were dealing with so much, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the more we did, the more we found, the more likely we were to find answers.

But as that rhythmic power continued to build, I was left with a fear.

What if we were already too late?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“We’ve got fabrications situated in a ring here,” Jos said, waving his hand around the section of the city that we were stationed in.

Matherin had agreed to help, but considering what was going on here, I wasn’t entirely surprised he had been willing. He still wasn’t convinced that I had not released something, but I had tried to reassure him that there was nothing inside the Twilight Gate and had even needed to explain what we had encountered. My efforts had done little to put him at ease.

“And your fabricator claims they can link together,” Jos continued.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

Jos snorted. “I think the better question is whether he is sure. Because not all of these are his, are they?”

I shook my head. It was a good thing that we had the Ardemian fabrications, though was the timing of their arrival coincidental or intentional?

“I’m ready to do whatever we need to do,” Jos said. “But I just want you to be aware that these fabrications might not be as reliable as you want.”

“Why not?” I asked.

Across the courtyard, I could see Asi. She was talking to several other Investigators.

It wasn’t just Investigators out here, though. I had convinced Harent and the constables to get involved, but they were here mostly for crowd control, to keep citizens from getting too close to us. Thankfully, nothing here had incited much in the way of protest. Most protesters had fixed their target on the shoreline, on the Ardemian transport ships. Fabrications were coming into the city by other means, but those were more arduous, and bringing fabrications over land had proven to be a slow process.

“It’s going to work,” I said. “We only need to seal this section off so that we can figure out who is responsible.”

“Well, from what I can feel,” Jos said, straightening and giving me a look that dared me to challenge that he was able to feel anything, “the ring is solid.”

I was quiet for a moment. “Good.”

“What about the other Blade? What about her people?”

“You don’t have to worry about them,” I said.

He snorted. “I’m not worrying. We’re both the same branch, right?”

“Exactly,” I said. I held Jos’s gaze for a moment. “I appreciate you coming here.”

“Care to tell me what exactly we are dealing with?”

“I’m not sure I know. There’s something underground they want.”

“But you don’t even know who they are.”

“Not at this point,” I said.

In my mind, it was the Guild, but I wasn’t sure how or if it was entirely the Guild, because if it was the Guild, wouldn’t Garridan have said something?

“So what’s hiding underground?” Jos asked.

“Something out of stories,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “And I very much appreciate you coming.”

As I headed across the courtyard, I felt the faint vibration of energy.

Maybe it was just the fabrications. I was able to pick up on certain elements of the fabrications, but even in that, I was only able to pick up on a vague sense.

By the time I caught up to Asi, she’d finished her conversation. She was frowning, probably the same way that I was.

“I don’t know if anything is working,” she said. “I can feel the energy, but I don’t know what it is.”

“Same.” And I had started to question whether this might be beyond our ability.

Did it have to be, though? We were Blades.

And as I thought about some of the things that I had learned about Blades, I couldn’t shake that there had to be something more to our role here. There was a barricade here for a reason. And in my mind, I should have been able to feel something else here.

Asi took a deep breath. “It feels like we went from finding the Twilight Gate and trying to understand more to just waiting. And knowing that’s down there, I can’t help but feel as if maybe we are not on the right track here.”

“You don’t think we should be closing this area off?”

“I’m not sure. This is not my area of expertise. This isn’t something that we learned about at the training compound.”

I turned to her and flicked my gaze to the outskirts of the city. I couldn’t see anything from here, but I was able to feel some of the power that I knew was out there.

“Maybe that’s got to change, then.”

“When we rebuild?” she asked with a slight smile.

“Exactly. We need to coordinate a different type of training when we’ve built the compound. We can make sure that new Blades learn about power in a different way.”

“So you want the Blades to know about all sorts of magic?”

“You don’t think that we should?”

“I am not sure that I’m the right person to ask that.”

“Since it’s just the two of us, I feel that we are the only ones to decide.”

Asi was quiet for a moment. “What if it’s not just the two of us?” When I frowned, she went on. “I know how that sounds. But I have to believe that Waleith didn’t get to all the other Blades. There were fifty or so of us. Some didn’t even stay in one place. Some traveled.”

What would that be like?

“So what if there are more?” she asked.

“Then we need to get them here. Until then, we decide. Why is that a problem?”

“I guess I never wanted that authority or responsibility.”

“It’s not really responsibility. Well, I suppose it is a little, but I think that you, as one of the few remaining Blades, are going to have to have a hand in this task. And if what we’re learning about is right, then we were always meant to have a hand in this.”

Asi watched me for a few moments. “You know, Zaren, you really can be maddening.”

I smiled. “I’m going to check on a few things. Matherin has made some other fabrications, and I’ve asked the Empyreans to place them around the city. I’m going to see if I can find them.”

“If you need help, I’m happy to come with you. But I’d rather stay here. This feels like something I have to do. Maybe I should have dealt with it while you were gone.”

“We are part of a team, Asi.”

“I know that,” she said, “but it also feels like I need to do things differently, and I should have been able to help, and it makes me a little uncomfortable that I have not been able.”

I wasn’t going to argue with her, though I disagreed with her.

I left the courtyard and made my way out to the outskirts of the city, where I could see some of the construction of the training compound off in the distance. It was easy enough to see from here. There was a steady rhythmic sound of the building, the hammering, even though it was far removed from the main part of the city. Still, it was close enough to be visible from the city once it was completed. At this point, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

The ring of fabrications around the outskirts of the city were in place. I could feel the power emanating from them, but that was about all I was able to detect.

I focused. Out here, I could not feel the rhythmic nature of the power quite as profoundly. Odd, that. Once inside the city, however, the power was more consistent, and it was easily detectable.

From what I had been able to determine, the power was moving around the city, and someone had to be responsible for it. This was an attack.

And it was targeting the Twilight Gate.

What would happen if we let it? Would it be a problem?

We didn’t know enough about the gate, what kind of power was inside it, what would come through if it opened, and we didn’t know if whatever came through would be dangerous. We had stories, but we didn’t know how much of those stories was based on fact.

As I made my way around the perimeter of the city, I saw some Empyreans patrolling. Some of them were placing additional fabrications. As they activated them, I felt the wave of power flowing outward.

It was a perimeter of protection that surged into place, solidifying a layer of safety that would hold around the city. At least, I hoped it would.

As I moved around the city, I began to have a vague sense of somebody following me.

It had been a while since someone had done that. Ellie had been the only person who had ever really tailed me through the city. And she was in the palace, training with Dorian, and considering everything that we were dealing with now, I did not feel that was a problem. She was safe in the palace.

But here I could feel the pressure of somebody tailing me. I did not think that they were an Empyrean or an Investigator, because both wore fabrications that I would be able to detect. None of those types of fabrications were present on whoever was following me now.

I started taking an erratic course, zigging and zagging through the outskirts of the city. This part of the city was more run-down, with some of the buildings falling into disrepair. I passed by several homes, places of business, even a few barns and farms that looked as if they were failing. But I couldn’t discern a follower.

I turned, moving in place, and then reversed course. The sense of somebody following me began to shift. But now it was something else. Now I detected a contour of power.

And within that power, I noticed something.

There was familiarity to it, but it was not quite the familiarity that I would have expected. I had thought I might find a member of the Guild following me, but that wasn’t it at all. And it wasn’t a fabrication power. It wasn’t quite as mundane as that. It took me a moment to realize why I had felt something along these lines before.

Talina.

It was almost the same energy that I had felt when she had been active in the city. I was certain of it. I had a clear recollection of what she had felt like when she had been here. Talina obviously had power, but Waleith had not revealed to me the truth of that power. Neither had Garridan when he had been involved, as I suspected that he had been involved in some way with Talina’s escape.

If that power was here, then what did it mean?

Could Talina have returned? Or worse, others like her?

I might have been able to counter her when I had faced her before, but I had no real confidence in my ability to do so against multiple individuals with that kind of power.

Which meant that I had to be ready, but I was going to need help.

Chapter Thirty

The palace had a different energy to it. I had not really anticipated such an undercurrent of power, but precautions had been taken to protect the palace grounds and the Queen.

The Empyreans occupied most of the space in the palace grounds.

I couldn’t help but feel that was a mistake. Spreading them out around the city would surely give them a better chance to handle the possible threats. Maybe it was Talina. Maybe it was the fae. Maybe it was the Guild. Or maybe it was something we had not yet foreseen.

The palace itself was a threat, though there was no obvious danger here.

I hurried through the palace halls and could feel the undercurrent of energy. Some of it was fabrication energy, though I wasn’t sure what kind. I had no idea why additional fabrications had been placed here. I had not identified anything recently, but then again, I had not been spending all that much time in the palace itself, so maybe this was the Queen’s—or Dorian’s—way of detecting danger within the palace walls.

“What are you doing here?”

I spun to see Ellie approaching. She was dressed in a jacket and pants, but they were much nicer than any I had seen her wearing before. Dorian had been getting her clothes, apparently.

“I need to talk to the Queen,” I said.

“Oh? Not coming to find me?”

There was hurt in her voice, which surprised me. I hadn’t expected Ellie to be upset with me, especially considering how much time she had been spending with Dorian after wanting such an opportunity.

“Haven’t you been training with the Prince?”

“A bit,” she said. She dropped her voice, looking around. “It’s not been nearly as exciting as I was hoping it would be. He actually wants me to learn about the dynamics within the palace, and he wants me to be involved in some of the politics. I don’t want to do anything like that.”

“It’s not so bad. Actually, I think him teaching you all of that will be useful. Depending upon how you end up deciding”—she arched a brow at me, as if suspicious that I was making a joke—“you can serve him, or the Blades.”

“You’ve been distracted, so I haven’t had a chance to serve with you.”

“Oh, just more danger in the city. I don’t suppose you know how to find Prince Dorian?”

“He’s around,” she said, offering a shrug. “Although he has been preoccupied. I understand that there has been some difficulty getting the Ardemian fabrications into the palace and trying to keep them safe. At least, that’s what he has implied. He hasn’t really made that very clear to me, because ‘there are certain things that a young woman should learn and certain things that she should not.’” She said the last mocking Dorian’s tone.

“And that is true enough,” Dorian said, striding down the hall toward us.

He had a pair of Empyreans behind him, and the guards were staring straight ahead, their expressions fixed. I picked up on their presence immediately, feeling the fabrications they were wearing, but there was a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar energy signatures.

“I’m sorry,” Ellie said, looking over, and then she shrugged. “Well, maybe not that sorry.”

“What is going on now?” Dorian asked, looking at me as if he expected me to be the problem here.

“The protests,” I said.

“Yes, well, that is your responsibility.”

“And I have done what I can with them. The protests aren’t the issue. At least, not the entire issue. What’s more concerning to me, and what should be concerning to you, is that someone is inciting them, but I’m not sure if it is that or what has been taking place underneath the city⁠—”

“Underneath?” Ellie asked.

“Within the Inarak bones,” I said, keeping my gaze on Dorian.

I wondered how much he knew about the foundations of the city, and whether he would even admit to knowing anything.

“Come,” he said, motioning for me to follow him. He turned and immediately strode down the hall in the opposite direction. He glanced over his shoulder at Ellie. “I suppose you’ll be staying with the Blade now?”

“Do you need me?”

“If what he is saying is true, it may be that Mr. Joha needs you more than I do.”

That was surprising.

What was he aware of?

Could he know about some of the dangers in the city, and could he know about the possibility of an attack?

And if he did, why would he not have shared anything before now?

I didn’t like the idea that Dorian was aware of certain things but kept them from me. “You know, Dorian, if⁠—”

“Prince Dorian,” he said, not glancing over his shoulder at me.

“Whatever,” I muttered. “If you know anything, it would have been helpful if you had kept me involved in the decisions, and⁠—”

“And you do not understand the full implications of what we must do for the safety of the city. You will, in time, but you are still new to your expanded position, Mr. Joha.”

I hesitated as we reached the stairs leading up toward the Queen’s private chambers. “I haven’t been serving? What are you talking about?”

He rounded on me with crossed arms. “There is a very good reason as to why I decided to bring in your apprentice for additional training, Mr. Joha,” he said, flicking his gaze to Ellie. “If she was going to be around the palace, she needed to have certain… I suppose I should say behavioral understandings.”

I mouthed the words after him, and then I glanced at Ellie. “So all of this is because I didn’t fully commit to what the Queen asked?”

Only I hadn’t actually refused the Queen. I’d told her I wanted time to get the city in order before I could take on that task, but perhaps Dorian didn’t see things that way.

“You were given an opportunity. It is one that very few are given. In your case, you have chosen to make things difficult, haven’t you?”

“I’m just trying to figure out where we stand.”

Dorian was quiet for a moment. “Are you sure about what you have said?”

“Pretty sure,” I said.

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Then I suppose you must come with me.”

We reached the Queen’s rooms and then continued onward. I had expected Dorian to lead me to the Queen’s quarters, where I had met with her before, but we didn’t go there. We didn’t even go to his quarters, where he had met with me once or twice. We went, instead, to a door at the end of the hallway.

There was an Empyrean soldier stationed here, but that wasn’t terribly uncommon in the palace anymore. Nowadays, Empyreans were often stationed all throughout the palace, making it less obvious which areas were important to be secured.

Then again, that was likely intentional. By stationing soldiers throughout the palace, an attacker wouldn’t necessarily know where their target was.

Dorian pushed open the door.

Arcane lanterns lit a large room. This was a meeting room. There was a massive table in the center, with high-backed chairs surrounding it. Soldiers were stationed around the room, and the Queen had taken up a position at one end of the table. All around the table itself sat the council.

I caught the gaze of Magnus Telling, who nodded to me briefly before turning his attention back to the conversation at hand.

I leaned over to Dorian. “What is this about?”

“This is about the Ardemian trade agreement,” he said, keeping his voice low, but not so low as to avoid being overheard by anybody nearby. “Many of the council feel it is a mistake to continue with our current agreement, because they feel the repercussions are too significant.”

He glanced at me, almost daring me to say something, but what was there for me to challenge, given what I had started to feel in the city and what I suspected?

“It’s not the fabrications that are the issue,” I said.

“What was that?”

The Queen turned and directed her attention at me.

“I said,” I replied, taking a deep breath and turning to the rest of the people here, “it’s not the fabrications that are the issue. It is more about the city. The fabrications are part of a distraction.”

“Some distraction,” Jinal said. He was a tall, slender man who always had a sour expression on his face.

Telling was watching me, but he didn’t say anything. A look in his eyes suggested he was deciding whether I knew something more. Maybe he was thinking back to the conversation we’d had recently, or maybe he was trying to gauge whether I was going to cause problems.

“It is little more than a distraction. Something else is at play here, and someone else is responsible. Somebody is using the uncertainty within the city to draw our focus.”

I looked over at the Queen, who was frowning and nodding.

“So you don’t feel this is a danger to the city?” another councilor asked.

“Oh, I think the fabrications pose a certain element of danger,” I said, “because they are fabrications. By their very nature, they make what I do more complicated. But they also allow us a measure of protection. I have come to see that they are necessary to face certain threats posed to us, our people, and the entire realm.”

“I concur,” Telling said.

“You’re just saying that because you are the only one who is pushing for this,” Phyla Kor said. She served as head of the Silk Merchant Guild, which gave her a measure of clout—and money.

“I’m saying that because I believe it is good advice,” he said. “Who else do we have on the council who has the same experience and understanding of the types of powers that have been interacting within the city? You?” Telling looked at one of the other councilors. “You?” He swept his gaze around each of them, daring each in turn to disagree. When none of them did, he finally nodded toward me. “I trust Mr. Joha. I trust his experience. I trust what he has done and said on behalf of Busal City. And in the time that he has been here, while there may have been some additional threats beyond what we might be interested in dealing with, he has also protected the city in ways I doubt that his predecessor would’ve been capable of.”

“His predecessor was involved in treachery,” Kor said.

“Exactly,” Telling said.

“Enough,” the Queen said, sitting upright.

She really did look a lot better, as if every passing day brought an improvement. Her eyes were more vibrant, and there was a strength to her that had not been there since I had met her. That wasn’t to say that she had ever appeared weak. It was just that she’d had a frailty to her ever since I had first come to serve her. And since her steady recovery had begun, she had started to look quite a bit different, and act quite a bit differently.

“I would like to meet with my advisers,” she continued. “We will be making arrangements, but know this. The trade agreement will not be dissolved.”

There was a bit of mumbling and grumbling, but gradually the councilors got to their feet, and they started to leave the room. As Telling moved past me, he leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I hope so as well,” I said.

He frowned and then started to laugh.

He filed out with the others, until we were left alone with the Queen.

Dorian nodded to the Empyreans, and they marched toward the door, stepped out, and closed the door behind them.

Only then did the Queen relax, and the steel that I had seen in her spine and the strength that I had seen in her gaze faltered for just a moment. The strength and the confidence were something of a mirage.

“Are we about done with all of this?” she asked.

“Very nearly,” Dorian said. “I believe that we should be able to handle the rest of the protests, but Mr. Joha has identified a particular threat I thought you should hear about.”

“Oh?” she asked, rubbing her hand across her face and then a knuckle into her eyes. “What now, Mr. Joha?”

“I started looking into a power I felt beneath the city.”

At the mention of something beneath the city, she locked eyes with Dorian.

“So you know about the Inarak tunnels,” I said.

“This place sits on a crossroads,” the Queen finally said, letting her voice out in a sigh. “There was a time when it was prominent for a different reason.”

“The Inarak,” I said.

“For a while,” she said. “And before that, it was important for a different reason.”

“Like the Twilight Gate that’s buried beneath the city?”

She frowned, and after she glanced at Dorian again, she shook her head. “There is no Twilight Gate here. We have searched. Historians have searched. There has been no evidence of one.”

I laughed. “Well, maybe there’s no evidence of it, but I found one. And I’m not the first, and I doubt I’ll be the last. I think, in fact, that this is the very thing others have been after.”

“What do you mean, others had been after it?” Dorian asked.

“While we were gone, there have been some strange magical pressures within Busal City.”

From the Queen’s expression, she was aware of this. I was surprised by that, but then again, I suspected that she had ways of learning things that I still wasn’t privy to. “The other Blade in the city was concerned about it and wasn’t quite able to identify the source of it.”

“An adequate Blade would’ve uncovered it,” Dorian said.

“She is more than adequate,” I said. “And I don’t think that you can blame her for an inability to identify this power. Besides, she serves on the other side of the city. This isn’t her responsibility. It is mine. And I was gone. Besides, I took time to understand the rhythmic quality of the power to discern a location of the source.”

“So you found it,” the Queen said. “It has been here, and we told them that it was not.”

“We didn’t know,” Dorian said.

“We didn’t know, but we could have listened.”

“Does it have anything to do with Talina?” I asked.

The Queen locked eyes with me. “How did you decide this?”

“Because the power I’ve been detecting strikes me as very similar to what I detected when Talina was here. And her sister outside the city.”

The Queen was quiet for a moment. “Yes,” she said. “This has something to do with them, and a claim, ancient as it may be, made upon this land.”

“And what will happen now?”

“I fear that if you are correct, and the gate has already been discovered and unlocked, somebody has decided to make their claim known.”

“So what can we do?” Ellie asked.

The Queen locked eyes with Ellie for a moment before she turned her attention back to me.

“I am sorry, Mr. Joha. I had not realized that you would get caught up in this. We knew it was likely that a Twilight Gate was here at one point, but others have searched and failed to find it. It is the reason that my father thought the Blades could be useful. He thought that whatever might come through the gate might require us to have that kind of defense.”

“What did he think would come through? The fae? Or was it something else?”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe that he feared monsters out of stories. The fae can be bad enough. But I do not know if that is what we should fear, nor do I know if there is a reason to be alarmed, as long as the gate remains secured.”

“And what happens if the gate has already been opened?” I asked.

“Do you think it has?” Dorian asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s possible, and if so, I suppose the real question is, what came through?”

“Or who?” Ellie said. When I turned to her, she shrugged. “Maybe someone came through it. Maybe that’s what you’re dealing with.”

“Great,” I muttered. “Now I have to stop someone from accessing power through the gate. Somehow.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Harent wasn’t particularly pleased with me when I went to him about the issue with the Twilight Gate. He was outside the station, organizing several constables. When I approached, he shot me a look that was a mixture of annoyance and concern.

“What now, Joha? We have a protest to handle. It’s not something you need to be involved in. They thought that they could storm several ships in the harbor. We’ve been swapping constables in and out, but we are starting to have issues with numbers.”

“Just you?”

“Well, the Empyreans are helping with this as well. They need to get involved when it comes to the ships.”

I frowned. The timing bothered me.

“I’m going to need you to bring in more of your men.”

“More?” Harent frowned, leaned over, and spoke to one of his constables before he turned his attention back to me. “Why so?”

“There is something taking place. Something that is beneath the city, and honestly, I’m not sure when we are going to have an issue⁠—”

“Then I don’t think we need to worry about it until you need my help.”

“I just need a couple dozen men.”

Harent started to laugh. “A couple dozen? You do realize that I am stretched pretty thin here.”

“I get it. I really do.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “I’ve got men working overtime, and that’s not even the worst part. Everybody is stretched so thin. If I’d had an opportunity to train more—and I have been trying to find recruits—this might not have been so bad, but we are running short.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” I said. “I just know what I have seen and what we must do.”

“What is it this time?”

“Not here,” I said.

“Not here?” Harent looked around the courtyard. “Where else would you have us go?”

“At least step away so that I can whisper it.”

He laughed. “You know, you really do have some interesting approaches.” He followed me, though.

Once we got away from the others, I leaned forward, dropping my voice to a whisper. “This is going to sound ridiculous, but⁠—”

“These days, there is quite a bit ridiculous that has to do with you, but if you’re afraid of me not trusting you or believing you, don’t worry. I will believe, at least as much as possible.”

At that moment, Lijanna strode over. She looked as if she was going to make a joke, from the smile on her face, but then she saw the expression on my face and the way that Harent was looking, and she turned serious. “Anything I can help with?”

“Just something unusual,” I said, shaking my head. “Unfortunately. We may be facing a significant challenge.”

I told them what I had found, what Garridan had implied, and the possibility that the Twilight Gate was at least somewhat behind what was happening here. “I don’t know what’s coming of this, but I think it’s all related. I’m unsure how, and I don’t know what they hope to accomplish.”

With that, Harent looked over at Lijanna. “A Twilight Gate?”

“I don’t know. I suppose I could ask her,” she said.

“Ask who?”

“My mother,” she said, shaking her head and sounding irritated. “Don’t get me started.”

“You don’t talk about your mother,” I said.

“You don’t talk about yours. Harent doesn’t talk about his. It’s not that surprising.”

“It’s a little surprising,” Harent said, “especially considering who your mother is. Well, who your mother was.”

“Who?”

I thought of somebody who had been a scholar, perhaps, and might be able to provide us with answers about what was going on in the city.

But Lijanna surprised me.

“My mother was once a high-ranking officer within the constables. She knew the city about as well as anybody has ever known it, and honestly, I try to live up to her reputation all the time.”

“And you do it well,” Harent said.

She snorted, shaking her head. “Oh, you don’t need to do that with me.”

“Could I ask her?” I asked.

Lijanna grimaced. “I’m not sure that you want to interact with my mother.”

“Why?” I asked, and I frowned, thinking that I would be most intrigued to do so, primarily because if she was anything like Lijanna, I was certain that we would get along well.

“Like I said, she can be a difficult person to work with. Harent knows.”

“I never really worked with her,” he said, shrugging. “She was gone by the time I took over in Busal City. I’ve heard her reputation. She’s well regarded. Or at least, she was. Hard, though.”

“‘Hard’ is fitting,” Lijanna said. “Incredibly hard.”

“So you won’t go to her?” I asked.

“I didn’t say that,” she said. “I was just saying that I’m not looking forward to it. But she used to talk about doorways throughout the city. When you were talking about the tunnel under the palace, I thought that was what she might have been looking for, but she once mentioned something about a Twilight Gate, and honestly, I don’t like to put much stock in it, but maybe there is something to be said about what she knows.”

“There is a gate. So if your mother knows anything, that would be great.”

“And that’s what you’re talking to Harent about?”

“No,” I said. “I need to have the area around the gate secured. I don’t want us to be surprised.”

“You said it was underground,” Harent said.

“There’s an access point. I want to make sure that whoever might be coming for it can’t do so. That’s what I care about.”

“So you want us to surround it and make sure that nobody gets down there? I think that might be a misuse of resources.”

“Just trust me.”

Harent looked like he wanted to argue, but he bit back whatever retort he was composing. He regarded me for a long moment, then nodded. “I will see that it’s done. Just leave me directions. I can create a perimeter of several constables around it. We can watch for anybody unusual. And I can report back to you if needed.”

“I’m going to instruct some Investigators to patrol the area as well,” I said.

“Thinking fabrications?” Harent asked.

“I don’t know. Probably.”

I would need to involve more than just the Investigators and the constables. I needed to bring in the Empyreans. I figured that Dorian would grant me this request, but there was still the possibility that they would not want to get involved, especially if they were currently tasked with ensuring the safety and stability of the ships.

Everything felt much like I had thought, that this was more a distraction and a diversion than the actual attack.

The Twilight Gate.

With what I had felt, and the waves of energy that had flowed toward it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the key here.

Eventually, we firmed up our plans.

When I was done, I headed over to the palace and found the captain of the Empyreans, who frowned at me as I approached. He was out with several others on patrol around the grounds.

“Joha,” he said. He nodded to me. I didn’t know the man well, but he obviously knew me.

“Captain Janerak. I’m glad I found you. I thought they might have to search for you inside the palace.” He frowned at the comment. “I am in need of some help with an assignment.”

“If it has anything to do with what’s happening at the harbor, we are aware of it, and we are working on it.”

“Not that,” I said. He was a tall man with a strong build, and he had a curved blade sheathed at his side. The bars of his office marked his left shoulder, and he had a fabricated pin on his lapel. “This is something different. I think it’s connected, but I’m not sure how. I’m not sure how much of an issue it’s going to be for us, or for the rest of the city. I need you and your men to back me up.”

“Back you up?”

I filled Captain Janerak in on what we were dealing with. I kept the details vague, more so than I had with Harent, but that was because Harent and I had a greater level of trust. When I was done, he frowned, glancing at the palace.

“I’m going to have to check in about this.”

“Please do so. Prince Dorian knows exactly what I’m dealing with, and I assume he’s going to give his support.”

“If you say so. This is, however, the kind of thing that I can’t move on without receiving orders.”

I wanted to tell him that I was giving the order, but then again, why would he believe that I was somebody who could give an order? I didn’t command him. I didn’t command any of them. The best I could hope for was that Dorian would listen, and perhaps give me an opportunity to do what I thought was necessary.

“This is important,” I said. “I have the constables looking into it, and my Investigators will also be involved. I think the Empyreans can be useful here, and we can secure the perimeter of the city if we work together.”

“Like I said, I’m going to check, but if it is as you say, if I have permission to follow a different order, then I will have my men join you. Is that acceptable?”

It had to be.

“Thank you,” I said, then gave him an idea of where to find me.

I had turned away when Captain Janerak called after me. “Joha.”

I turned back.

“I haven’t had an opportunity to thank you.”

I frowned. Where was this going?

“Several of my men during the protests have been saved because of the fabrications that you ensured we were supplied with. I know that the Prince wanted us to have particular fabrications, but from what I understand, you made certain that there were additional protections placed on some of the fabrications that we were granted. Is that true?”

It had happened a while ago. But it was true.

“Matherin makes the fabrications. I gave him some specifications about what we need to be careful with, especially with some of the dangers that we have been encountering in the city.”

“Well, you have my thanks. And from what I understand, you have done quite a bit that is unusual in the city. I would love to talk with you about it all at some point.”

“Of course.”

“We could use a man like you in the Empyrean.” He looked over at some patrolling soldiers. “I hear you have some experience. I would have invited you to join us, but it seems that you have a different station, perhaps a higher calling.”

I snorted. “Perhaps,” I said. “I think in a different life, I might have been inclined to take that offer.”

“In a different life, you would’ve been quite the Empyrean.”

“Him?” Ellie said with a bit more snark than I appreciated.

I tipped my head and then swept my gaze around the palace grounds. “Do you know my apprentice⁠—”

“I know her,” Captain Janerak said.

I looked over to her, where she tried to look disarming. She grinned innocently at me. “Of course you do. She’s around the Prince quite a bit.”

“She is,” he said.

“And she has a bit of an attitude,” I added.

“Hey,” she said.

“A girl like that does well in a place like this. You can’t be too placid.”

I snorted. “She’s definitely not that. There might be something I will need of the Empyreans but I’m not sure what that’s going to be just yet.”

“Say the word, and we’ll be there,” he said.

“Thank you.”

He nodded and set off.

It was odd having more rapport with the Empyreans. I had been suspicious of them when they had first started taking up a greater role within the city, and I had thought that Dorian had been trying to create his own army. And he still might be, but he was doing it for a different reason, one that I suspected was prudent. Now I thought that the Empyreans might serve a better purpose, and they might be useful for us.

Investigators. Constables. Blades, if we could ever get the training compound built and draw more out. And even the Empyreans. We all had to work together. That was how we were going to defend the city—and all of Busal.

But first, I had to protect the Twilight Gate.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Are you sure about all of this?” Asi asked. “We haven’t seen anything. I don’t know what you believe we will find, but the strange energy that you picked up on is gone.”

“And that worries me,” I said.

Ellie trailed me and had been quiet. I wasn’t sure if she was frustrated about the fact that I had asked her to join me, or if it was that I had not included her in all of this. I felt like a terrible mentor. I had not been including her in nearly as much as I should have.

“I don’t feel anything,” Ellie said. “I did, for a little while. You know, I’ve been feeling something strange ever since we got back to Busal City. Maybe that’s what you two have been tracking. I feel it in the palace, though.”

“I don’t think it’s tied to the palace,” I said. “Or at least, not directly. What you have been picking up on is probably the fabrications that are worked into the palace itself.”

“I didn’t realize there were fabrications there.”

“The palace and much of the city are Inarak,” Asi said, sounding irritated, “and we are dealing with the consequences of that, and now we’re trying to figure out how to protect this Inarak gate⁠—”

“I don’t think that the gate is Inarak,” I said. “In fact, I don’t even know if any of the Twilight Gates are.”

“So you have become an expert in them?”

“Not an expert, but I am starting to research them.”

“Well, if that strange archivist ever returns, maybe you can get some answers.”

I was quiet for a moment. “I still don’t know what to make of her.”

“Who?” Ellie asked.

I hadn’t shared my experience in the archive with her, but then again, I hadn’t shared it with Dorian, either. I had kept it to myself. Why?

I felt like I needed to have more answers before I started throwing out additional accusations. And she had shown me to the underground area of the archive and had revealed that there was more spread out beneath the city. Why was I concerned about that?

“There was a strange woman at the royal archive, and⁠—”

Ellie surprised me by laughing. “That’s what you’re concerned about? Prince Dorian told me that all of them are strange.”

“He did?”

“Oh, yes. And they are all quite forgetful, too. You know, I met with one of the archivists, a man by the name of Oledon, who made it sound like the archive was his private haven, and I was lucky to even be permitted entry.” She snorted. “I don’t mind the reading, but I don’t love it the way that they do. I can’t imagine how anybody loves it the way that they do.”

Maybe that was all there was to it. Maybe they were just forgetful. But something here felt odd.

“How many did you meet?” I asked.

Asi shot me a look. “Is this really the time for this?”

“We are waiting, patrolling, and we haven’t found anything,” I said, sweeping my gaze around.

We were at the edge of the harbor. In the distance, I could see the constables were holding back some protesters, but the activity here had started to die down and wasn’t nearly as violent as it had been before. That was almost certainly due to the fact that the constables and the Empyreans were both present, along with several Ardemian fabrications, which had been distributed around the harbor. These offered a greater measure of protection than anything Matherin could make, and they were far more numerous.

“So what else do we have to do?” I asked.

“I suppose nothing,” Asi said.

“I only met two archivists,” Ellie said. “And now you say you met a strange woman. But they are all strange. Prince Dorian wanted me to learn some of the history of Busal City. I didn’t realize it was Inarak. I don’t know anything about the Inarak, so maybe you can talk about that.”

“They are an ancient people who apparently served the fae,” I said, looking at Asi and wondering what she might add. “They once lived in most of the cities around here, but they were lost over time.”

“Not entirely lost,” Asi said. When I frowned, she shrugged. “Well, they weren’t. There are stories of people who are descended from the Inarak. They don’t live in cities like this, and they certainly don’t have access to the Twilight Gates as they once did.”

“I wish I knew more about this,” I said. “And I wish I knew more about the gate, but I don’t have time to go into the archives and research it, and if Lijanna gets me any answers from her mother⁠—”

“You asked her mother?”

“I didn’t, but Lijanna will.”

Asi started to laugh, and I looked over.

“Have you met her?” Asi asked.

“No.”

“Oh, I hope I’m there when you do.”

“That sounds ominous,” I said.

“I’ve met her once.”

“You have?”

“And I don’t think that I was supposed to. But she is a hard woman who is accustomed to getting what she wants. I imagine that she could even give the Queen a run for her money.”

“I’ll tell the Queen you said that,” Ellie said.

Asi turned to her. “You wouldn’t dare.” There was a hard edge to her tone.

Ellie held her hands up. “I was just making a joke. Just as you and Zaren were making a joke. I can’t do that?”

“Let’s just keep moving,” I said.

As we walked, I started to pick up on a faint sense. It was subtle, but as I focused on it, I detected an element of it that was trapped deep beneath the ground. It was fabricated energy.

I paused, turning to Asi, who didn’t seem to have noticed anything.

“Do either of you feel any fabricated energy?”

“No,” Asi said quickly.

“I always feel something,” Ellie said. She locked eyes with me for a moment. “Ever since we got back from Ardem, I have. Always. It’s different, and sometimes I don’t know if it is just protections that are supposed to be there, or if it is something that’s hiding, but I always feel something.”

“That’s probably good,” I said.

“I don’t know. I don’t like it. It’s like I got back here, and everything changed. Maybe it was just me that changed.”

“You’re getting better, and you’re getting stronger,” I said. “That’s good, especially with everything that we are dealing with, and all that we are still going to have to deal with.”

“Maybe,” she said again.

“What do you feel?” Asi asked.

“Just a faint presence. It’s like a fabrication, but faded.”

“Follow it,” I said.

“Are you sure?”

“Just follow it,” I said.

I didn’t feel it as she did, but then again, I had come to my abilities much later in life, and I might not be as sensitive as somebody like Ellie, who was learning how to wield her Blade ability early on.

So we followed her.

Eventually, she reached a narrow, crooked alleyway, and she pointed. “I feel it there.”

“It’s down there?”

“Not really,” she said, frowning. “It’s all along here.”

I tested for anything that I could pick up on, and it didn’t take me long to recognize what Ellie had described, and what I felt was similar to what I had been feeling. There was a faint trace of fabrication, but maybe it wasn’t pure fabrication.

“It’s not the only one, Zaren.”

“Where else?”

Ellie guided us, and as we walked, Asi leaned over. “I didn’t even feel that once we got there. You felt it?”

“Vaguely,” I said. “But she’s going to be an excellent Blade.”

“You should take a stronger hand in her training.”

“I don’t know if I need to. If Dorian is working with her and wants to make sure that she knows some of the things that will be found in the palace, then what can I even offer?”

“You can offer her an opportunity to learn what it means to be a Blade. Your ability and mine are different, and she deserves to understand her own unique skills. I just think that…” She shrugged. “I think that you need to work with her.”

“I plan on it.”

We stopped at another alleyway. Again, this one was a little irregular, and it weaved off the main street, and as soon as we reached it, I picked up on a different contour.

“Anything?” Ellie asked.

“I feel it,” I said.

Asi slowly nodded. “Now I do,” she said. “You know, you are good.”

“Thanks,” Ellie said. But she flushed slightly. More so than I would have expected.

Once we moved on and Ellie stopped in another place, I froze.

“This isn’t good,” I said.

“What isn’t good about it? There’s just a vague, faint fabricated energy.”

“A vague, faint fabricated energy that surrounds the Twilight Gate,” I said softly.

Her eyes widened.

It didn’t take very long to find some constables, and then we managed to get a squad of Empyreans. It seemed Dorian had instructed them to listen to me—or perhaps to Ellie. I didn’t know any of them, but I was thankful that they were willing to come with us.

“I’m not sure what’s going on here,” I said. “I want the constables to stay stationed around the perimeter that Harent has established. I want you to find whatever Investigators you can and have them set up protective fabrications. And I’m going to take the Empyreans with me.”

“We could help,” one of the constables said, a man I didn’t recognize.

“You are helping. Do what Harent commanded.”

Because if I was going to bring anybody down into the depths beneath the city, I wanted to bring soldiers who could handle themselves. Not that the constables couldn’t, but I knew what the Empyreans could do.

I looked at Ellie, and then I hesitated. “I’m not sure it is a good idea to take you down here,” I said.

“I’m the reason you found it,” she said.

“She is,” Asi said.

“Fine,” I muttered.

We reached the doorway, and much like before, I used my blade to deactivate the fabrications on it, and I couldn’t quite tell if it had already been deactivated. Still, I began to feel a vibration, almost a humming of energy that worked through the blade. And then I opened the door up and headed down the stairs.

Darkness swallowed us.

Asi produced an arcane lantern and set it to glow with a pale blue that showed the stairs, the walls, but nothing else.

“Why blue?” Ellie asked in a whisper.

“Less likely for somebody else to see it,” I said. “At least, from a distance. The blue arcane light tends to be the hardest to see. And all we are trying to do is to get down to the gate.”

“Why would the Inarak build it down here?”

“It’s not so much that they built it down here,” I said, “as the city was built above it.”

We reached the door to the gate chamber, and I frowned. I took the arcane lantern from Asi, then crouched down, sweeping it from side to side. There were footprints, and some of them were mine, but not all of them.

When I pointed, Asi nodded. She unsheathed a blade. Behind her, the Empyreans did the same thing.

“I don’t have a blade like that,” Ellie said. All the amusement that had been in her tone faded.

“You have your blade, and if anything proves to be dangerous, you have me, Asi, and the soldiers. Just stay by us.”

She nodded.

It was good that Ellie knew when to be serious.

I opened the door and then stepped inside.

As soon as I did, I felt the energy of the Twilight Gate.

“Everything’s flowing this way,” Ellie said.

I looked over. “You can feel it?”

“I can feel the fabrications, but I don’t think that’s fabrications. All of it flows this way. They are there, there, there, there,” she went on, pointing to different sections of the walls. “But I don’t feel it here. Does that make any sense?”

“I don’t know,” I said. I looked at the Empyreans. “Take up positions around this chamber. We are going to test a few things and make sure that it’s safe.”

They nodded, not arguing.

I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Ellie had been feeling the fabrications, as had I. But there was a movement to them. It felt like something was slowly rolling through the space. It was faint.

But it seemed as if Asi was the one who detected it first.

“Something’s coming,” she said, her voice soft. “That’s what those fabrications are doing. I can feel it.”

She wasn’t wrong. I felt it as well. And at this point, I didn’t know what I was picking up on, but the sense of unease was building.

And it kept building. And building.

Until the walls exploded.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Iswept my blade around, using it to carve through the magical effect that lingered, not sure if I would even have enough focus to do so.

“Be ready,” I said to the others.

As the debris cleared, Asi held her light out, flashing it in all directions, and she pointed it at the walls to reveal openings that had formed in the explosion.

A tunnel had opened up.

Then the Empyreans charged.

“We stay near the gate,” I said, looking at Ellie. I didn’t need to tell Asi anything.

“The gate?” Ellie asked. “Why is that so important?”

“The gate is their target. They’re here to activate it or go through it or pull something out of it.”

“But are we just supposed to stand here?”

“We deal with any threat that gets too close to the gate,” I said. “We help as many of our soldiers as we can.”

A pair of Empyreans were fighting a man moving with a fluidity and grace that I had not seen any soldier using before. He wielded an unusual, curved blade. I pointed my blade in his direction, then dove. I didn’t know what magic he might have but wanted to carve through it. As soon as I did, the other Empyreans were able to attack. They converged upon him as rapidly as they could, until they managed to wrap around him entirely.

Asi was working her way through the crowd, bringing her blade up, slicing through some of the magic, before spinning and turning, dealing out one attack after another.

There was a simple grace to her movements, and though she had worked with me, I knew that I would never be able to mimic the way that she moved, nor did I think that I actually needed to. What I needed was to use a brutality of movement, to charge the soldiers coming at me.

Three men converged on me.

All three were large, muscular, and had the same curved blades.

I drew myself up to my full height and swung my blade in an arc to gain some space.

“Stay back,” I cautioned Ellie. I didn’t need her to get caught up in the fighting.

“I can help,” she pleaded.

“I know you can, but let me handle this. At least for now.”

I swung my blade again and feigned moving toward one attacker, but then another approached. He brought his blade up, then down, and I raised my arm to shield my body. Thankfully, I had the fabrication that Matherin had made, and it protected me. I didn’t know what would have happened otherwise. I kicked out, driving my boot into the man’s belly.

Then there were only two in front of me.

I spun, and the two men regarded me with wariness.

The Twilight Gate began to ripple.

Energy was building within it. I had not seen anything like it, but I had a pretty good idea of what would happen. The gate was opening.

I tried moving toward it, but my two assailants lunged, and I was forced to back away.

With the rippling of the gate, the intensity of the battle increased.

That was not surprising, because I suspected that they knew exactly what was happening here, and they were ready for it.

We had to be careful with whatever was building here. And if it came down to destroying the gate, we would. I understood that the Queen and Dorian did not want that, but it might prove necessary, especially if it prevented anything from coming through.

I lowered my shoulder, charged past one of the men, kicked out at the other, and then spun my sword.

As I did, I managed to carve through the magical power converging upon me. This allowed me to get closer to the gate, but the intensity in this chamber was picking up.

The Inarak—and I suspected that these were all Inarak—were flooding into the room.

On our side was just me, some Empyreans, Asi, and Ellie.

Behind me, Ellie grunted.

I spun to see an Inarak charging her. She had tripped, and while she had raised one of her blades, the man would easily get to her.

But she surprised me. She rolled to the side, curled her arm around, and cut through the man’s hamstring. He cried out and stumbled backward.

Ellie popped to her feet. “I did it,” she said, sounding excited.

“I wish you didn’t have to fight, though,” I said.

We were backed up closer toward the gate. A different power was building now, energy swirling around the gate. I wasn’t the only one who detected it.

“What is it doing?” Ellie asked in a whisper.

“Opening,” Asi said, coming toward me. A bruise was forming on one cheek, and she had been caught with a blade on one arm, blood staining her jacket. She skimmed her gaze across the gate, and anger flashed in her expression.

“Do you think somebody is coming through, or do these people want to go through?” I asked.

“If that’s all they want, should we just let them?”

She wasn’t wrong. If that was what they wanted, then we shouldn’t get in their way. There would be no danger to us.

There was another buildup of vibrational power, followed by an explosion, and another section of wall crumbled.

I spun, half expecting more Inarak to come flooding through that opening. Instead, it was something far more dangerous.

The woman from the protests.

Isarash.

I thought about what Garridan had said and realized that I had to have been right when I suggested that she had wanted to destroy the fabrications for a reason. The power in them would have distracted from her and the others finding the gate.

Now she stood before me. If she was as powerful as Garridan suggested, I had to be careful. And I had to stop her before she accomplished what she planned—and before she allowed something to come through the gate.

Her dark hair was caught in an unseen breeze, and power radiated from her, leaving me awash with it. Her gaze swept around, lingering on a pair of Empyreans near her. Not nearly enough to stop somebody with her kind of power.

And her expression was intimidating. Anger or determination. But mostly power.

She started toward me. The energy in the room changed, as if a weight began to swirl around me, holding me in place. I had felt that before. I had overcome it before. But this time it felt different. It felt concentrated.

But more than that, the Twilight Gate itself began to change.

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Stay near Asi,” I said, looking back at Ellie. “I have to deal with this. The two of you need to delay the gate opening. I don’t know what that will entail, but keep it from opening.”

“We have another issue, Zaren,” Asi said. “We’re running low on Empyreans.”

She wasn’t wrong. Many had fallen, and the Inarak were starting to converge on the gate. They would complete their mission. We wouldn’t be able to stop them. We needed more people.

And there was still the influence of the woman. I could resist it, but for how much longer?

“Here’s what we do,” I said, and I looked around. “We get Ellie back up top⁠—”

“I’m not going to leave you two behind here.”

“You are going to get us more help,” I said. “While Asi and I and the remaining Empyreans deal with this as best we can.”

I could tell from Asi’s look that she wasn’t sure we would be enough. But considering that we were underground, and that there were not nearly enough people here to help us fight, I didn’t know what other options we had.

“Zaren,” Ellie started, “I want to be here with you to fight.”

“And you are fighting. You have been fighting. The way that you fight will be different, though. And that’s all right. It doesn’t mean that you are less important.”

She still looked as if she wanted to argue, but thankfully, she bit back her retort, and then she nodded. “Which opening do I go through?”

“The one we came down,” I said. “We don’t know who might be in any of the other tunnels.”

Ellie nodded. “All right. I know which one it is.” She darted away, and before I had a chance to tell her that she was going in the wrong direction, she slipped into the darkness.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Asi said.

“She won’t. She’s clever, and thankfully, she is probably going to be more powerful than both of us combined.” I turned to the gate. “Well?”

“It’s active. What else can you say about it?”

“I don’t know. Do you think we might be able to counter it?”

Asi brought her blades up, crossing them in front of her, and she approached the Twilight Gate. This wasn’t a technique that I used, but I suspected there was a purpose behind it.

She hesitated, but she continued moving. Then there was a ringing throughout the chamber. I couldn’t identify the source of the sound, but saw Asi moving with the energy that was building.

That power shifted.

And it was my turn to take action.

I had to deal with Isarash.

It might have been better to let Asi deal with her, as I suspected that she would be quicker than me and use a technique that might be effective, but this was where I needed to be.

I took a step toward Isarash. She seemed surprised by the fact I was able to move. The Empyreans on either side of her had not moved.

Around me, I could still hear the fighting, but both the Empyreans and the Inarak were not engaging with the same intensity.

“You can feel the rhythm, can’t you?” She took a slight step forward, and more pressure built upon me.

The pain wasn’t new, but as I fought past it, and I was able to withstand it better than I had before.

“I can feel what you’re doing,” I said.

She smiled. “Of course you feel it. You are one of her children.”

I laughed at that. “One of her children? I’m not sure that I would call myself a child. But you can call me whatever you want. I’m still not letting you near that gate.”

“But you can feel the rhythm. You can feel that you cannot influence it quite the way that you would like to. You will not be able to withstand it.”

“Will I not?”

Her smile tightened. “No. You will not. But it is not a problem. It will only be a small transition.”

“What do you intend to bring through?”

“Is that what they told you?”

“Either you intend to bring something through, or you intend to go through. Either way, I cannot permit it.”

“Is this your choice, or has someone else made your choice for you?”

“What do you want to bring through?” I asked again.

She tipped her head to the side as she considered me. “You don’t know what it was like for us to be cast aside when they no longer needed us. But we remember. And we will force a bridge in their world now.” She flicked her gaze to the gate. “And you are in the way.”

And with that, she raised a hand.

For a moment, everything went still.

My heart was threatening to stop beating. I’d never felt a pressure quite like it. The suddenness of it overwhelmed me. It collapsed inward, squeezing and constricting around me. My body, and my entire being, rebelled against it.

I had always felt that the source of my Blade power was internal, deep inside me, and it allowed me to draw upon that power. But in this case, every part of me reacted, my skin tingling.

The pressure left me awash with energy.

But every part of my being began to resist, rebelling against it.

I could fight through this.

I knew I could.

I had to focus.

I didn’t focus using my blade, the fabrication that Matherin had made for me. I didn’t focus using the one that Waleith had given me. I focused only on myself, concentrating, and tried to expel some of that power from inside myself so that I might withstand what was coming. Power rippled out from me.

It did so slowly, but finally it worked.

Gradually, far too gradually for my liking, I was freed from her clutches. There was a rippling wave of explosive energy, and then I was completely free.

And not a moment too soon.

Three Inarak soldiers had converged around me.

I headbutted the first one. Stars lingered in my eyes, but then I drove my elbow back into the belly of the next, and I turned, only to find that the third one held his sword aloft and was bringing it down toward my head.

Everything slowed, but for a very different reason.

For a moment, I had a fleeting feeling that this was such a waste, that my time in Busal City and serving the Queen had been a waste. I had not managed to stop anything. And really, I had only managed to bring more danger to the city.

Then the man stiffened, dropping his blade.

He collapsed, a dagger jutting from his back.

Asi.

I kicked one of the other soldiers and then strode toward Isarash.

As I got close, I could feel her power once again building.

“You aren’t strong enough to stop all of them,” she said, motioning to the people around her. “You can feel that much, can’t you? Even if you get to me, they will complete the mission.”

“And the mission is to open the gate?”

“The mission is the mission.”

“So you are willing to sacrifice yourself?” I asked, still struggling to fight my way through her power and her hold on me. There was something familiar about the power, but I couldn’t place it. “You don’t mind what you are doing, and you don’t mind the fact that you are willing to die here?”

“My sacrifice will enable something greater,” she said.

“Your sacrifice will be in vain,” I said.

“Not when they finish the job.”

“Zaren!” Asi shouted.

I flicked my gaze quickly around, and I realized that the woman might be right. There were too many Inarak soldiers in the chamber. It was just Asi and me and one or two Empyreans who were still standing. Not enough to stop this inundation.

I turned my attention back to Isarash. She offered me a sad smile, but she looked pleased with herself. The answer was simple.

Cut her down. Get to the gate. Deal with the rest.

“Fuck it,” I muttered.

I charged forward, driving my sword into her belly.

As soon as I did, I forced more of my resistance, more of my Blade ability, through her. I felt her power fade until there was nothing of it left.

She collapsed, and I withdrew my blade.

I hesitated only a moment before darting to the Twilight Gate. Inarak soldiers bore down on us. I didn’t like the odds. And worse, the gate continued to flicker with its unique energy. But we had time. We had to have time.

We would close this, and then the rest could be dealt with.

And if not…

“Ready?” I asked, looking over at Asi.

“Not particularly,” she said. “I didn’t think we were going to die today.”

“No,” I said. “I didn’t think so, either.”

So I straightened, and as the Inarak soldiers closed in, I readied.

But then I heard a shout. A charge. And the sound of others coming.

For a moment, I feared these Inarak had brought more soldiers.

But no.

It was Empyreans.

Which meant we were saved.

Chapter Thirty-Five

The fighting was over quickly. The Inarak were captured, and though I was not entirely sure what to make of the attack, I was relieved to see it end.

I turned to Asi as the two of us approached the Twilight Gate, blades upheld. “It should be a fairly straightforward thing to destroy it now,” I said. “We need to keep it from doing whatever they intended.”

“I think the destruction is probably not necessary,” a muffled voice said from the darkness.

I looked over, half expecting it to be the woman, to have to deal with her again. I didn’t think that she would have been able to survive my blade in her belly, but then again, I had seen enough odd things in my time serving the Queen to render me uncertain.

“Garridan,” I said, shaking my head. “Why am I not surprised?”

He was standing over Isarash aggressively. He looked powerful. I didn’t necessarily feel any power from him, but it was more about what he was doing.

“I would encourage you not to carve through the protections of the Twilight Gate. We have very few of these gates remaining, and they need to be protected.”

“Protected?”

He nodded, sweeping his gaze around. “They uncovered the location. That is unfortunate.”

“What did she mean by bridging in their world?” I asked.

He glanced down at her. “Is that what she said? It won’t work, Isarash. Regardless of what you and the others want, you can’t force them to fight Quell.”

“Quell?” I asked.

He sighed. “The battles in this world are but a minor one compared to what has taken place in the other realm,” Garridan said, motioning to the gate. “There’s a reason we no longer travel them as openly, and a reason the fae do not travel as openly.”

“They abandoned us,” Isarash said, her voice a whisper.

“As they had to,” Garridan said.

“You don’t know. You can’t.”

“I do know. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it.” There was something haunting to his words. He turned back to me. “But forcing the realms to collide—which is what she would have attempted, though I don’t know if it would have succeeded—would have only brought a danger to this world that we are not equipped to handle. Not yet. Perhaps not ever.”

“What about what you thought about the gate already having been opened?” I asked.

Garridan watched me, noncommittal. “There are those who are permitted access, Zaren. And those who should cross.” The fae, he didn’t say, and didn’t need to. But if that were true, that meant that one of the fae—or more than one, I had to admit—had come through. “Regardless, the crossing is one of those things that might have stimulated the response from the gate. And I suspect that is what she and the others detected, allowing her to track that power back to the gate. The timing was unfortunate. Or perhaps fortunate in that you had returned.”

“As had you,” I said. “So what does all this mean?”

“There is much that you could learn about the Inarak, if you were so inclined.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” I said.

And honestly, I wasn’t even sure that I cared all that much.

Not that I was going to tell Garridan that, because at this point, the only thing that I really felt I needed to do was to ensure that the Twilight Gate was secured. Maybe it wasn’t fully secured, but at least it felt like it was no longer active. I could feel it losing power, the pulsing and rippling energy beginning to fade somewhat. The longer I was around it, the easier it was to detect, until that energy completely stilled.

All around us, the Empyreans were taking up positions to prevent anything or anyone from moving in or out of this chamber.

However, Garridan was left alone. It was as if they weren’t even aware that he was here. He could hide, I had to imagine. Maybe his talent allowed him to conceal his presence in some way.

“You need to set up protections,” he said. “I will leave it to you, as long as you are willing to take action.”

“You will leave it?” I asked, arching a brow and stepping forward. “I’m sorry. Are you implying that if I don’t do what you want, you’ll just do whatever you decide needs to happen?”

“When it comes to this, I must,” he said softly.

“We can protect it. We have protected it. Something changed, but we can continue to do so.”

He regarded me as if deciding whether that was true. “I will trust you in this, Mr. Joha. I will provide you with some fabrications, unless that will trouble you. They will provide the same masking effect as was here before. I believe that with the proper technique, we should be able to conceal the gate entirely. Unless we were to need it.”

“Very well,” I said.

“Good. In the meantime, I would encourage your soldiers to stay here.”

And with that, he leaned down, grabbed Isarash with one arm, and hoisted her over his shoulder before slipping off into the darkness. Only when he was gone did Asi and I talk.

“He’s an odd one, isn’t he?” Asi asked.

I shrugged. “Quite odd.”

Around us, the soldiers continued to take up positions, either securing the chamber or the tunnels, or bringing in fabrications that would do the same. It was a coordinated activity, and I was thankful that it had not been left to just me and Asi.

We truly had a team.

I could have involved the constables, but they wouldn’t have been prepared for this. The same could be said about the Investigators. This had not been their fight.

But the elite soldiers of the Empyrean had been crucial for this.

And it was because of them, and the sacrifice of some of them, that we had survived.

It wasn’t long before I found Ellie, and I thanked her for bringing reinforcements.

She just shrugged. “You told me to get help. I found help. I guess my time in the palace with Prince Dorian was useful, because they were all willing to listen to me.”

“You did that,” I said. “I know that you aren’t quite sure how you feel about Prince Dorian and what he’s teaching you, and neither am I, for that matter, but you did that.”

If nothing else, I could help her see that she had another way to fight. She didn’t have to fight as I did. I wasn’t sure what her role would look like, but I could envision a different opportunity.

Eventually, I would need to find Garridan and ask questions about Milendra.

That, I suspected, had been the real issue here.

It didn’t take long for us to secure the gate chamber. With the woman gone and the Inarak soldiers out of the city, the protests quickly died down. The demonstrators were no longer affected with the same irritation as before. Isarash and her people didn’t need to use the protests as cover, and they no longer urged the destruction of fabrications coming to the city. I considered it a victory, even if I still didn’t fully know what had happened.

The one thing that I knew with certainty was that Busal City had been caught in between a greater battle than Garridan had admitted. And it wasn’t over. If the gate was as dangerous as he indicated, it might never be over. All we could do would be to prepare and defend the city from what might come.

Which meant continuing the preparations that I had made.

Eventually, a quietness fell upon Busal City. That was reassuring.

It took a few days, but everything gradually fell into a steady rhythm. The Ardemian fabrications were able to move freely into the city. There were no further attacks, explosions, or anything to worry about. And true to his word, Garridan supplied some fabrications. I never saw how he did it. They just appeared.

Matherin came down into the Twilight Gate chamber. He stared at the gate for a long moment before turning to evaluate Garridan’s fabrications. They were quite different from the ones that he had made. “These will be more than adequate,” he said. “The technique behind them is exquisite.”

“I don’t need them to be exquisite.” The fabrications were pyramidal in shape and had a series of etchings along the surface that Matherin claimed were key to the power. And they had a shimmery quality to them that suggested aelith powder had been involved in their making. I wasn’t surprised by that, because Garridan had been involved with the powder, and more than that, he knew how the powder could augment fabrications. “I just need them to be effective.”

“They will be,” Matherin assured me.

We managed to wall in the Twilight Gate, and we altered the entrance, allowing it to be more heavily guarded. It took time, but the tunnel was reconnected to those underneath the palace, and that access was subsequently guarded as well. Everything seemed to be going the right way.

We still needed to work with the training compound as its progression continued, and there was what the Queen had asked of me. That still hadn’t been fully resolved, and I didn’t know what that resolution would look like.

Ellie was preoccupied with Dorian most days, but I was thankful for that, and I wasn’t going to argue with her schedule.

It was about a week after the attack when I was standing on the edge of the city, looking toward the slowly developing training compound, Asi at my side.

She sighed. “When’s the next attack going to come?”

I looked over. “Aren’t you pessimistic.”

“Not pessimism. It’s more… realism. We’ve been dealing with so much. So when is the next one going to come?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting this one. I suppose issues will always come up. Things we aren’t prepared for. But maybe by taking on a greater role here, we can ensure that we know sooner.”

She arched a brow at me. “Take on a greater role? You mean, more than you already do? I would say you have already taken on quite a substantial role here in the city. Not only building the training compound but serving as the Queen’s Blade.”

“She wants me to be more,” I said.

Asi dusted her hands on her jacket, and her fingers twitched over the hilts of her blades. I understood the feeling. Ever since the attack, I had a greater desire to maintain a proximity to my blades as well. But I also had a different connection to my Blade ability, as if the fight had somehow augmented me.

“How much more?”

“An adviser. More formalized. I think I’ve been serving in that capacity to a certain extent, but she wants me to be closer to her.”

“At least you’ll hear of dangers sooner that way.”

I started laughing, and Asi arched a brow.

“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “Here I’ve been struggling to find a good reason to accept the job other than the fact that the Queen wants me to do it, and you cut right to the heart of it. Learning about things sooner and having greater access within the palace means that things might not surprise us quite as much.”

Asi stared into the distance. “It’ll be nice having other Blades around. That is, assuming we can get this compound built in a timely fashion. And if we can find out what happened to some of the others.”

“It’s not even about getting it built,” I said. That was a part of it, but that was the easiest part. Construction was simple. The Queen had plenty of builders, architects, and men and women who were able to help build a training compound, structured in the way that we thought would be effective. “It’s finding more Blades. Or at least, it’s finding those capable of becoming them. I don’t even know where to start.”

“I do,” Asi said.

“Oh?” I asked.

“We have fabrications. We use those to identify Investigator candidates. So we start with them, figure out who has the most potential there, and then we build from that.”

I wondered if we would have to take the approach that Waleith had essentially taken with me and send either me or Asi out looking for other potential candidates.

But not yet. For now, we would deal with Busal City as we had. We would find potentials here. We would train them. We would secure the city. Then we would work on securing all of Busal.

“Well,” I said, “it’s a good thing that you’re going to be here with me, teaching.”

“Great,” she muttered. “More time close to the palace.”

“Well, maybe if I take on the Queen’s advisory role, you’ll have to take on a different role.”

When she frowned at me, I grinned.

“Maybe you’ll have to become the Queen’s Blade.”

Don’t miss the next book in The Queen’s Blade: The Blade’s Burden.

Having saved the city and uncovered a secret to its power, Zaren now feels connected in ways he had not before. He’s serving as the Blade, learning to be an advisor to the Queen, and building a school to train others like him. There’s peace in Busal.

Peace is fleeting.

When the school is targeted, and the fabrications imported from Ardem are destroyed, Zaren recognizes a new danger to the realm.

Uncertain who’s responsible, he embarks on a journey that will take him throughout the realm, forcing him to find power greater than any Queen’s Blade.

Have you grabbed the first book in The Wayward Chronicles, set in the same world featuring Garridan and the Guild. Book 1 of The Wayward Chronicles: Chords of Fate.

We were called the Wayward. It was a derogatory term for some, but it was one we embraced. Most of us truly were Wayward.

Leo Surinar is a wanderer, traveling with his mother in the Wayward caravan in the only life he’s ever known, finding their own peace while parts of the world descend into war. When a traveling minstrel joins the caravan, everything begins to change.

As Leo learns the power of song, and begins to dream of a world beyond the caravan—one only the Academy can show him—he starts to think there might be more to the world than what he sees from the top of a wagon.

Until his mother’s illness forces him to make a difficult choice.

Leo soon learns about the world beyond the caravan, the power that can be imbued in song, and power even greater than the song. As he’s hunted by deadly guild assassins and runs from the fae, he must decide between returning to what he’s always known and the knowledge and magic of the Academy.

The Wayward Chronicles begins an epic journey as Leo searches for his place in the world, as he’s destined to become more than

Author’s Note

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for reading The Rebel’s Gate. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would be so kind as to take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or elsewhere, I would be very grateful.

I’m also always happy to hear from readers! Email me at dkh@dkholmberg.com. I try to respond to each message. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook as well!

Review link HERE.

All my best,

D.K. Holmberg

p.s. If you haven’t signed up already, subscribe to my newsletter for a few free books as well as to be the first to hear about new releases and the occasional giveaway.

For more information:

www.dkholmberg.com

Series by D.K. Holmberg

The Wayward Chronicles Series

The Queen’s Blade

The Wayward Chronicles

The Executioner’s Song Series

The Executioner’s Song

Blade and Bone

The Chain Breaker Series

The Chain Breaker

The Dark Sorcerer

First of the Blade

The Dragon Rogues

The Storyweaver Saga

The Storyweaver Saga

The Dragonwalkers Series

The Dragonwalker

The Dragon Misfits

Elemental Warrior Series:

Elemental Academy

The Elemental Warrior

The Cloud Warrior Saga

The Endless War

The Dark Ability Series

The Shadow Accords

The Collector Chronicles

The Dark Ability

The Sighted Assassin

The Elder Stones Saga

The Lost Prophecy Series

The Teralin Sword

The Lost Prophecy

The Volatar Saga Series

The Volatar Saga

The Book of Maladies Series

The Book of Maladies

The Lost Garden Series

The Lost Garden