Shadowstorm_ The Twilight War Part 37

"No."

His father was taking stock of the fighting men and women who had gathered for the muster, planning their next steps. Abelar did not disrupt him. He walked to the sh.o.r.e of the lake and sat down alone. He whispered farewell to his G.o.d as the sun set and darkness fell.

As the night bloomed, he made up his mind. He would not surrender his son to Forrin and the overmistress. Not until he had done absolutely everything he could. He could not look to the light to rescue Elden, so he would look to the darkness.

He stood, walked purposefully through the camp until he found Roen. The priest of Lathander sat with a dozen other men of Abelar's company around a fire. They had pulled a dozen silvergills from the lake. The fish cooked over the flames.

"Commander?" Roen asked, and stood.

"I need you to find Nayan."

Roen looked confused.

"The shadowwalker who rescued my father." Roen's eyes flashed recognition. "Why?"

"Because he can find Erevis Cale. And if Erevis Cale can pull my father out of the Hole, he can pull my son out of Forrin's camp."

"Abelar ..."

"Do it," Abelar said, and grabbed Roen roughly by the shoulders. He regretted the gesture immediately and released the priest. "Please do it, Roen. Any way you can. I need them here. Now."

Roen looked at the men around the fire, back at Abelar, nodded. "Of course, Abelar."

Corpses and rubble from the wall littered Selgaunt's streets. A floating Shadovar city cast its shadow over the battlefield. Shadovar and Selgauntan troops stood shoulder to shoulder amid the carnage. Coughs and the cries of the wounded sounded loud in the dusty air. Variance stood beside Tamlin, taking in the scene. Other priests and priestesses of the Lady of Loss stood among the victors.

Tamlin found the entire scene surreal. He had been certain his city would fall. Shar and the Shadovar had saved it. "It is quiet now," he said, and immediately thought the words stupid.

Variance nodded.

Rivalen and Brennus appeared over the walls, cloaked in shadows and power. The Shadovar troops hailed them with raised blades. The Selgauntans, too, raised their weapons and cheered.

The two Princes of Shade descended to stand before Tamlin and Variance. Shadows curled lazily around the brothers.

Rivalen's face, bruised around one eye and with a deep gash down one cheek, healed before Tamlin's eyes. The Prince seemed not to notice.

Brennus's homunculi emerged from his cloak, gazed about tentatively, and grinned when they saw the battle had ended.

"You are both well?" Tamlin asked.

Both nodded.

"And you?" Rivalen asked him, though he looked at Variance.

"Fine," Tamlin answered. "The rest of the Saerloonian army?"

Rivalen made a dismissive gesture. "Destroyed or fled. We will want to arrange a detail to dispose of their bodies. The dragon, too, has fled."

"G.o.ds, man," Tamlin breathed. He was standing before two men of inordinate power. He envied them. "I scarcely know what to say, Prince. Or how to thank you and your men."

Rivalen inclined his head. "Thanks are unnecessary. I am a man of my word, Hulorn. We are ... allies."

"You are that, and we are that."

"This war is not yet over," Brennus said.

"Agreed," Tamlin said. They had defeated part of Mirabeta's army, but much of it still remained.

"We should discuss next steps," Rivalen said.

"Next steps?" Tamlin asked.

Rivalen looked to Variance. "See to the wounded, Dark Sister."

"Yes, Nightseer," she said, nodded at Tamlin, and vanished into the shadows.

"There are provisions and accommodations on Sakkors," Brennus said. The homunculi rubbed their stomachs and licked their lips.

"So that is Sakkors," Tamlin said, eyeing the floating mountaintop hanging in the air above his city.

Brennus said, "Our troops will garrison there, of course, but there is ample s.p.a.ce for more. The city was recently rebuilt. Selgaunt is overcrowded, some of its people could temporarily relocate ..."

"This, too, you would share with us?" Tamlin asked.

Brennus's homunculi gave bows and Brennus said, "As my brother said, we are allies, Hulorn."

Tamlin was glad of it. He would not want to be an enemy of the Princes or Shade Enclave. He turned to face Rivalen. "Shar saved Selgaunt through you and your men. I will be candid and tell you that I wish to know more of her. Everything there is to know, Prince Rivalen."

Rivalen's eyes flashed and he regarded Tamlin for a moment. The shadows around him swirled. "I believe you, Hulorn."

Onthul appeared before them. Scratches covered his face. Rips marred his tabard and dents marked his breastplate. A piece of torn fabric bound a wound on his forearm. Dust caked his beard. Tamlin almost embraced the old war dog.

"My lords," he said to Tamlin and the Princes, and bowed. "We have more than three hundred Saerloonian prisoners, Hulorn."

"They can be imprisoned on Sakkors until you decide their fate," Rivalen said to Tamlin.

Tamlin nodded. "Very good. Gather them, Captain Onthul. The Shadovar will transport them."

Onthul nodded. "Shall I send for the priests held in the palace so that they may a.s.sist with the wounded?"

Tamlin looked out on the battlefield, at Variance and her fellow priests and priestesses moving among Selgaunt's wounded, healing them. "Are the Sharrans unable to do what needs to be done?"

Onthul looked at the battlefield, back at Tamlin. "The Sharrans appear to have matters in hand, Hulorn."

"Good. Then leave the priests where they are. Their disposition remains ... under consideration."

Onthul saluted and started to walk away.

"Captain," Tamlin called.

Onthul turned, eyebrows raised in a question.

"You served Selgaunt well today, Captain."

Onthul smiled, nodded, and walked off, barking orders.

"Let us retire to discuss matters, Hulorn," Rivalen said.

"Yes," said Tamlin.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

1 Nightal, the Year of Lightning Storms Tamlin paced the study in Stormweather Tower. He ran his fingertips over the spines of his father's books. He had read almost none of them.

"Vees Talendar a traitor?" he said to Rivalen. "That cannot be, Prince. I've known him for years. He has been indispensable to me."

Rivalen stood in the center of the study, near the chessboard, arms crossed. He advanced a black p.a.w.n. "You wished to know all, Hulorn. This is all. Will you hear the rest?"

Tamlin's stomach fluttered but he nodded.

"Recall my mention of renegade, heretical elements within the Sharran church. Vees Talendar is not a priest of Siamorphe, as he purports, but a priest of Shar."

Tamlin gave a start. "Shar? Like you?"

"Shar," Rivalen nodded. "But not like me. I learned of this months ago but kept it from you to earn Talendar's confidence and learn more of his plans. Talendar leads a group of like-minded wors.h.i.+pers. All of them are heretics, Hulorn. All of them are guilty of dark deeds in which innocents suffered."

Tamlin swallowed, looked out of the window onto Stormweather's night-shrouded grounds. He could not believe what he was hearing.

Rivalen continued. "The temple of Siamorphe is a carefully constructed disguise, long in planning. The true temple is below it. It is a temple to Shar, dedicated by heretics. I have seen it."

Tamlin could think of no words. He merely shook his head.

"There is more still," Rivalen said.

"Isn't that enough?" Tamlin said bitterly.

Shadows swirled about the Prince and his eyes glowed in the darkness. His expression showed sympathy. "I know this must be hard to hear. I regret having to tell you these things. But we are at war and cannot have a traitor in our midst."

Tamlin held his goblet in the air between his lips and the tabletop. "Traitor. The word does not fit. Traitor?"

Rivalen nodded.

Tamlin set the goblet down untouched.

"And now I enter into the realm of speculation," Rivalen said. "But here are my thoughts. I believe Vees Talendar told the overmistress and Lady Merelith of the alliance between Shade Enclave and Selgaunt. I believe Vees Talendar then encouraged the other priesthoods in the city to take a neutral stance in the conflict. Some of them may be in league with him."

"If he is a Sharran, as you say ..." Tamlin said.

"They would not know that. They believe him a wors.h.i.+per of Siamorphe."

Tamlin's head swam. He tried to make sense of Vees's treachery, replayed in his mind their many meetings and discussions over the past year. Vees had been secretive, prohibiting anyone from entering the temple of Siamorphe, disappearing for days at a time.

"Why would he do this?" Tamlin asked.

"We discussed the nature of men once before, Tamlin. Is that not reason enough? Perhaps he still harbors ill will due to the conflict between his family and yours. In the end, I believe he wished to see Selgaunt fall and for you and me to die. I suspect he had arranged with Merelith and the overmistress to become the new Hulorn. At the same time, by eliminating me, he would kill Shar's high priest and move a step closer to his heresy becoming accepted in the church. Perhaps he thought to become a high priest himself. Why else would he not have fought beside us at the walls?"

Tamlin picked up the wine goblet and drank it empty in a single gulp. He refilled it, his mind racing. Everything Rivalen said made sense. Anger and shame warmed Tamlin's cheeks. He had been played for a fool. He thought of how disappointed his father would have been with him, how smug Erevis Cale would have been, and his anger grew. He looked to Rivalen.

"These are accusations. I need proof before I authorize steps."

Rivalen crossed the room and stared down at Tamlin. "I will give you proof. This moment. Stay near me and remain silent."

The darkness deepened around them until Tamlin could not see. His stomach fluttered as the shadows moved them elsewhere. He heard a voice, Vees's voice, chanting as the darkness parted.

"Love is a lie," Vees said. "Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly."

Rivalen and Tamlin stood in the back of a vaulted, windowless chamber. Wooden pews arranged before them faced a black altar draped with a purple and black altar cloth. Vees Talendar, dressed in black robes, knelt before the altar, chanting. He held in his hands a black disc ringed in purple-Shar's symbol.

Coming face to face with Vees's treachery lit Tamlin's anger. He exhaled in a hiss.

Vees stopped chanting of a sudden and started to rise and turn.

Rivalen surrounded them in darkness and whisked them back to the study in Stormweather Tower. When the shadows parted, Tamlin slammed a fist on the side table. The impact tipped his wine goblet and the red fluid pooled on the table and dripped to the floor.

Vees had lied to him, betrayed him, betrayed the city.

"He must be held to account," Tamlin said.

"He must be punished," Rivalen said, and the shadows about him swirled.

"I will have him arrested."

Rivalen put a hand on his shoulder. The strength in the Prince's hand surprised Tamlin. The shadows around Rivalen churned, touched Tamlin.

"He is a heretic. I would ask that you allow me to see him punished in accordance with church doctrine."

"What does doctrine demand?" Tamlin asked, though he knew the answer.

Rivalen did not blanch. "Death."

Tamlin stared into Rivalen's golden eyes. His breath came short and shallow. He hesitated, then remembered Rivalen's words-Squeamishness is seldom rewarded in war. His heart raced but his anger burned.