COBALT 7.4: HAPPINESS
“The unforgivable act remains unforgivable, especially if the actor is upheld an ethical man – and so then must the sublime act remain sublime, even if the actor is a man of degradation. The only confusion arises when the same act is both unforgivable and sublime; for this is surely only the mark of Evil. Yet in casting down the Tyrant will you throw off the good laws with the bad? Would you so risk truth by the flesh through which it is revealed? Would you so tempt the tempters to ever-greater misdeeds, have them bend all their will to the destruction of the holiest men, that we might all by association forever abandon the light they showed forth for the shadows they cast?”
– from ‘The Book of Lithiguil’, 7:93-98
“What do you mean, it’s my twins?”
My muscles reacted like they’d been touched with lightning – instead of Tanra pushing me back, suddenly I was looming over her, glaring down into her face. I could feel icy waves of panic starting to make their way down my body from my head to my feet, over and over, ten times a second.
“They’ve been taken, Kas!” she snapped. “Almost twenty minutes ago. We have to act now if we’re going to avoid bloodshed.”
“Taken!”
But I wheeled my head towards Timesnatcher.
If he didn’t summon me…
“I knew nothing.” He shook his head, eyes staring back at me blankly. “Nothing whatsoever about this. As you said yourself, my sight –”
“Kani might look after them for you,” I said to him, then moved my eyes to Tanra. “Take me.”
I put my hand out as she lowered her mask into place; then she gripped my wrist, time froze, and we were gone.
Any number of possibilities coursed through my head as we ran. It could’ve been the dragon returning, kidnapping my loved ones so as to blackmail me into becoming her weapon. It could’ve been Everseer or her people, seeking to motivate me into becoming a murderer. But she said inkatra, which suggested something else entirely…
We moved so quickly up the stairs under Tanra’s chronomancy that I didn’t realise we were entering my apartment until she stopped us.
The seeress helped a groggy Xantaire to the bench while I checked on Xastur –
“Still asleep,” I reported tersely, withdrawing my head from the bedroom doorway.
“I could’ve told you that,” Tanra replied, tipping a few drops of healing elixir onto Xan’s tongue.
“But you aren’t telling me anything,” I growled. “Where are th-“
“They’re with Wyre Lulton and the Bertie Boys. I had the feeling something funny was going on with them for the last few days, but I didn’t have chance to explore those landscapes…”
“Tanra!” I barked.
Wyre… Lulton…
Of course. It all tied together. The incident with Orven. Toras…
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Wyre thinks I’ve got it in for him? Some revenge scheme?
“Sorry – but yeah, it’s you they’re after, Kas. This is them making a move on you, I’m almost certain of it. Damnable inkatra…” She managed to look a bit embarrassed. “I think they used someone on it to decide –”
“I get it.” I held up my hand to stop her. “Damn you Tanny.”
“Hey!” she blurted, then drew in a breath of realisation. “No – no, it wasn’t Tanny Dengen. It was one of Peltos’s Gentlemen who figured it out, but the real traitor was someone called Sawdan. A boy – so tall, with brown hair in his eyes – your neighbour, Tick! Ticken!”
I shuddered.
If Zel had been with me when I saw the lad give me that portentous second glance, she would’ve told me. She would’ve known.
Damn it all.
“Xan.” I looked at her – she seemed to be much recovered, reclining with her hands folded on her stomach. “I am so, so sorry –”
“You’re sorry?” she said bitterly. “It was me who couldn’t defend them – I got them up inside the shield but they grabbed me on the doorstep and I –”
I started laughing. Horrendous, uproarious laughter.
“What?” Xan muttered darkly, and the two of them looked between each other. “What is it?”
“And I – I thought – at least a darkmage – if not a heretic, or a dragon – but Wyre Lulton and the Bertie Boys…”
The amusement was like a physical thing, something tangible that I could feel lifting my spirits, filling my body with lightness, almost giddiness…
Then it settled. My eyes narrowed as I looked to Killstop.
“Will the boy stay sleeping?” I got my mask out, started putting it on. “It’s time we paid Wyre a visit.”
“But they used inkatra! I need more time to break through – I can’t see what’s going to –”
“You diviners and your crutches,” I snapped. “Get over it! Just act, without foreknowledge, like the rest of us! A minute ago you were so angry you could’ve torn down the sky – now you’re acting frightened!”
“A minute ago I couldn’t see!”
“You still can’t!”
“I mean – I didn’t know what was happening –“
“Look, you can bring my brother and sister out, right? I’ll handle the rest. I say again – will Xastur stay asleep?”
“Yeah, but he’ll wake up in twelve or thirteen minutes.”
“That’s all we need.” I checked around quickly. “My shields are still strong.”
Xan was staring at me. “You mean – do you need me?” She sounded confused. “Sh-shouldn’t I stay here? This doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
“Oh yes it does, Xan. More than you know. You remember I was looking for your brother’s killer?”
“How could I forg…” Her voice faded mid-word, then her eyes lit up, burning like flames. “Oh. Ohhh.” She got to her feet, steadied herself. “I’m coming with you.”
“Tanra, can you slow us please?” I asked, taking Xantaire’s hand and reaching out to the seeress.
“Both of you, alone? I can’t slow you all the way.”
I looked at her in disbelief. “Just do it, please.”
I didn’t feel anything as the chronomancy washed over me, but the sounds from outside faded, slurred.
She sighed. “I’m not sure this is a good idea…”
“You.” I let the word out on its own for a moment, just to drive home my point, my incredulity. “You, are going to tell me to be sensible. Now. Now.”
“Kas, we can’t just take –“
“They took my brother and sister. What can’t I take?”
I took a step closer to her, felt my personal shields raise themselves.
“Help me,” I said plainly.
She shook her head, but I could tell it was a gesture of resignation, not refusal.
“Fine. But you owe me one. And I’m not letting any killing happen.”
I snorted at her. “Who do you think I am, exactly? These idiots have got in way over their heads. I told myself, if I saw Orven again, I would erupt, but there’s no way –“
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
I noticed that Tanra’s eyes were fixed on Xan.
“I’m coming with you,” my flatmate said again, in a tone that brooked no argument.
“If you try to kill someone, I’ll stop you,” Tanra warned.
“Or I will,” I said flatly.
Xan just shrugged. “Can we do this, please?”
She pushed her way past me, heading out into the morning greyness – then paused on the balcony as she realised just what slowed time meant.
“There’s a lot to get used to when it comes to this,” I said as I made my way out of the doorway to join her. “You’ll feel like you’re walking or running, but you’re actually moving ahead of yourself – then you’ll catch yourself up…”
“Don’t bother trying to explain it,” Tanra said. “Let’s just get this over with.”
One moment we were there – and the next, we were gone again.
* * *