Scars of Stone

Chapter 2-1

2

“At least he didn’t try to kill me,” Kamira added when Veranesh ignored her remark about honesty.

The nightflies circled in the air above the bed. During Ryell’s visit, Veranesh had kept them hidden but close by, and she appreciated his vigil. Anyone could expect her to use magic to defend herself or to attack, and they would prepare for such an instance, but no one except for Veelk knew of the crystal creatures.

“You’re avoiding the question of his truthfulness.” Veranesh’s dry voice continued to contrast with the creatures’ playful flight.

“It’s not a question,” she fired back. “I’d much rather know why Yoreus is using him, and what the old fox really wants from me. Information, that’s certain. But what else?”

The game with Ryell had tired her, and if she didn’t need all the possible insights in the archmage’s schemes, she’d have told Ryell to go back to the Towers, to the woman he was so eager to embrace while she was away. Kamira almost huffed in frustration at the memory of their previous meeting, when Ryell made his interest clear, quite bluntly so, and now he had the nerve to attempt acting the same while all that high magic emanated from his body. Had she allowed it, he’d have undoubtedly sat beside her, throwing friendly remarks or even trying to charm her.

She glanced at the nightflies, but couldn’t tell whether her ire showed and if Veranesh noticed anything.

The aura of high magic was gone with the one who carried it, but she still boiled at Ryell’s admittance of being under Atissa’s thumb. He didn’t seem a player himself, and Kamira could assume that he indeed desired her, especially with the aura of arcane magic surrounding her, but she doubted the feelings for her he believed to have were real, and he definitely was not a friend.

A knock on the door sent the nightflies darting to cover.

“It’s me.” Veelk entered without being invited. “I saw Ryell in the corridor. By the look of his face, I’d wager it wasn’t a pleasant time.”

Kamira narrowed her eyes. When he was leaving, Ryell seemed content enough, but if he caught Veranesh’s remark and her response, it could have changed his mood. Next time, if there was any, she would have to be more careful, or Ryell was bound to discover secrets she didn’t want to share with him.

“She was quite gentle, considering he sleeps with another,” Veranesh said as the nightflies emerged.

Veelk arched his eyebrow then glanced back at the closed door and again at Kamira. “That’s a pity. He seemed to have taken to you.”

Kamira discarded that remark with a shrug. No matter how honest Ryell might have seemed, she couldn’t discard the possibility that he was as seasoned a player as Yoreus or any Tivarashan noblewoman with whom she’d dealt in the past. A royal guard could have had enough opportunities to try his hand at intrigue and deception. But discussing Ryell and his intentions would make them go in circles.

“We need a plan.” She looked straight at Veranesh. “Because the ambush showed how unprepared we are.” Even in the privacy of their room, she chose words with caution, avoiding the mention of Uganel’s name.

Silence fell, but she waited patiently. The demon would arrive at the conclusion she had in mind.

“You consider yourself incapable of the deed,” Veranesh said.

“We almost died because I couldn’t hold the barrier long enough.” The memory of the event made her crumble inside, but she kept her composure. At least she’d gotten to experience firsthand what an attempt at freeing Veranesh could be like.

Veelk walked over to the table. “Wounded and in pain against a storm of magic. A lousy arcanist indeed,” he said as he took the chair Ryell had left.

As much as she’d enjoy falling back into their casual bickering to pick up her mood, she kept her eyes on Veranesh. “This was the limit of the energy I could channel,” she said. “Regardless of how much I’d be willing to practice or sacrifice, the human body has its limits.”

The nightflies circled in the air, and the chaotic moves of two creatures must have reflected Veranesh pondering her words. “You have something in mind, don’t you?”

Kamira hesitated, looking between Veelk and the nightflies, and gave a cautious nod. She had weeks of strenuous journey back through the desert to recall every single detail from their confrontation with Uganel, and all her thoughts led to one conclusion. Veranesh could have offered her all his power, but without the ability to survive channeling it, she’d be as useless as defending from Uganel’s destruction. She might have found a way, but both Veelk and Veranesh had to agree, and she couldn’t decide who would be more likely to say yes. On the other hand, it hardly mattered, because neither of them would be able to convince the other.

After a deep breath, she pointed at Veelk’s arm. “Your scars… They channel magic both in and out, right?” she asked.

His expression changed, as always when she asked about things related to his tribe. No matter how many secrets they shared, how many times they saved each other’s lives, and how deep their trust was, when it came to his kinsmen, he still retreated to old habits. She didn’t blame him, because in the end, he always gave her as much of an answer as he could, and this time was no different. “They draw it from the demon world whenever it’s necessary for healing or reflexes, and into it when they take care of spells thrown at us.” He looked her over. “But the stones need to be bound with the flesh to work. You can’t simply wear one or hold them.”

If it was that simple, she wouldn’t need that conversation. “Would your people make an exception for me?” She glanced at the nightflies. “If you agree.” Veranesh could well be opposed to the idea, because higher demons guarded magic they granted, and with the stones as a part of her, he’d lose that power over her.

“Suzhaul won’t agree even if I was the one to ask.” Veranesh crushed her hopes, but at least he wasn’t disagreeing with the idea itself. “He’s too engrossed in his… endeavors to risk that aiding me would make other kanyalari confront him and pull him away from his pursuits.”

With the way Veranesh spoke of Suzhaul’s plans, Kamira couldn’t help wondering what secrets they shared, and what the goals of Veelk’s demonic patron were.

“Sounds like him.” Veelk showed neither surprise nor respect for his tribe’s demon. “But there’s someone else we could ask. A man who knows the secrets of the blending and isn’t bound by my tribe’s rules.”

Her jaw dropped. “Your people taught an outsider?!” The last thing she’d expected of the tribe that was more protective of its secrets than of its members was to give it away to someone they couldn’t fully trust.

“It’s a long story… and a long shot,” he said, ignoring her outburst. “I don’t even know if he’s still alive, and if he is, finding him will take some favors for Gildya.”

“Gildya…” When the understanding dawned on her, Kamira stared at Veelk. “Your people taught an adept?!” A way to keep secret, teach it to a member of an organization that shared them freely among its people and used them to gain wealth and influence.

“No need to yell.” Veelk shot her a warning glare. “My tribe had a huge debt to pay, and Suzhaul approved. Koshmarnyk was taught our techniques, but he’s not allowed to pass this knowledge to anyone else.”

She knew better than to question the trust Veelk had in this man, even if she considered sharing such knowledge akin to playing with fire. “So, we just need to reach out to that… Kosh-mar-nyk? The name sounds tribal.”

“That’s the name we gave him.” The tic at his lips’ corner indicated amusement. “After all, he had to be of the tribe, one way or another. But he disappeared some years ago, and if anyone knows where he went, it’s Gildya.”

Kamira leaned back on the bed. “Master Tijhran used to sell imbued stones to some adept. I could ask him to introduce us.” She turned to Veranesh. “Such information might be costly. I’ll need quite a few powerful stones.” Likely, no ordinary stones from minor demons would do, even if she wanted to try to bargain with them first.

The nightflies shifted in their flight, and one of them hovered close to Kamira. “Not the most pleasant thing, but nothing compared to the pain I go through by the high mages’ doings. Although you should rest and heal before you set out again. With… the immediate threat gone, you have time.”

She gave him a nod. As much as she loathed the prospect of idleness, possibly spoiled by Ryell’s further visits, traveling with a broken arm was too much of a hassle. It was enough that she’d made it back through the desert. Now her limb needed to heal. When she got the stones blended, the magic within them would hasten the process, but until then, she only had natural mending. “I’ll write a letter to Master Tijhran. Perhaps he’ll be willing to visit Kaighal.”

“Then it’s settled,” Veranesh said.

One nightfly wrapped around the wrist of Kamira’s healthy arm, while the other coiled around her neck, forming a necklace.

“Are you sure about it?” Veelk asked when the nightflies froze into jewelry. “Once bound, the stones are not easily taken out. And even if you manage to remove them, the scars will stay forever.”

“I know. But I don’t need them all over, like you. Only on my arms, since arcanists use them to draw and channel. Wearing long sleeves till the end of my days seem a small price for saving my own life, and maybe the world too.” During their journey back, she’d had enough time to think about it.

“Just maybe? I thought you finally trusted the demon.”

She couldn’t help glancing at the nightfly on her wrist before replying. The creature was still, and she did not sense Veranesh’s presence. “I do. At least in matters of his freedom and keeping his word. He might not be as evil as the high mages try to paint him, but… beings like him have a different perspective. Once he’s free, there’s no telling what he’ll do.” She shivered, as it wasn’t hard to guess. He’d go after the high mages, and their hold on Kaighal would put the whole city at risk.

“We’ll worry about it when the time comes.” Veelk must have caught the shift in her mood. “Right now, we need to find Koshmarnyk.”

She snickered at Veelk’s approach to problems, on a one-by-one basis. He never seemed overwhelmed by anything, and it put her at ease. With her concerns lightened, she glanced at him playfully with a new thought on her mind. Of course, it would never work, but the prospect of his dry response pushed her to try nevertheless.

“I still need my hair done.”