30 - SHADOWS

And then, far too quickly, it was time to move.

“Here’s how this is going to work,” Justinia said, facing Akios. The governor stood before us all, gag, blindfold, and wax plugs removed. Although there were shadows beneath his eyes, and he reeked strongly of piss, there was still an intimidating nobility about him, a sense that he was beyond us all. “There are going to be people behind you and in front of you. You follow those in front. You follow, governor, and you don’t step out of line. Don’t say anything unless prompted. If you try to resist, run, shout, or otherwise do anything that might irritate me, you will be severely hurt.” Justinia’s grin was suddenly sadistic. “You might be immortal, but as far as I know, you can’t regrow eyes, teeth, or limbs. So, even if you somehow survive, you have an eternity to look forward to without all those body parts you’ve taken for granted.”

Akios barely even blinked. “Understood.”

Amaline held out a knife, flipped it, and then balanced the tip upon the pad of one finger. “Do you see this, governor? I am very, very good with knives. If it looks like everything is going to shit, and we’re all going to die, I’ll make sure to take you out with me. Our success is in your best interest.”

I watched this little interaction impassively. The truth was, so much of my plan came down to Akios’s cooperation. That was just one of many things making me extraordinarily nervous.

I was gambling that three centuries of life had instilled within him a deep, all-consuming fear of death. I was gambling that his sense of self-preservation was stronger than his sense of selfless duty to the Autarch.

But honestly, I had no idea if that was true.

“Before we leave,” Akios said calmly, “may I say one thing?”

“Go for it,” I said.

“It’s not too bad to turn back. I don’t know what your plan is, not exactly, but I know how it ends: with all of you either dead or in chains. The Autarch can be merciful. He is a hard man, ruthless, and well acquainted with violence, but he isn’t a fool, and has pure intentions. Throw yourselves at his mercy. Surrender yourselves. So long as I am safe and returned to them, you may be surprised by the tenderness you’ll be treated with.”

“Nice try,” Justinia growled. “But it ain’t gonna happen.”

“You’re wrong,” I said, staring Akios down. “This path ends with the Autarchy in flames, and Marak’s tyranny brought to an end.”

Akios’s smile was sad. “You’re not the first person to think that. You will not be the last, either. That’s the thing about Marak that none of you understand. He always finds a way. He isn’t like the rest of us. He isn’t quite human.”

And with that, we’d heard enough. We led Akios out into the moonlight. Camillan and I walked in front of Akios, while Felice and Justinia were behind him. Amaline, concerningly quiet, was right by his side, so close that their shoulders were touching. I could tell that a part of her wanted the plan to go wrong just so that she’d have the opportunity to stick a knife in the governor.

The other two Thorns went off on their own. They would join the rest of the Thorns, divided into separate groups, and all of them with their hiding places closest to the eastern gate of the Sanguine Tower, where we would make our entrance.

We started walking. The Sanguine Tower was located close to the center of Tymora, not far from the palace of the politarch. Mercifully, this late, the streets were mostly empty—in the Autarchy, few businesses, if any, were allowed to operate past a certain time, and the Terarch Guard did not treat people wandering the streets at night kindly.

Typical of our luck, it didn’t take us long to encounter a group of Guardsmen.

There were four of them, and they saw the six of us walking with purpose and became immediately visibly suspicious. Their hands drifted to the hilts of their blades. One held up a hand, demanding that we come to a stop, and called out to us, voice uncomfortably loud in the darkness.

“Allow me,” Camillan murmured.

“Halt,” said the nomarch. “What business do you people have at this time?”

“Autarchy business,” Camillan said gravely. “Best that you don’t get in our way, nomarch.”

The man hesitated. Impersonating an Autarchy official was a death sentence. It was also very hard to prove in the moment, and for all the man knew, we worked for the Seeking Hand. Get in our way and he risked possibly losing his job.

Ultimately, he decided to be difficult.

“Credentials,” he demanded.

Justinia shoved Akios forward. Akios cleared his throat. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but do you not recognize a governor when you see one?”

The nomarch’s face paled. The other Guards exchanged concerned looks.

“Governor…” the nomarch licked his lips. “My sincerest apologies…” he glanced at the rest of us, eyes lingering on Justinia, the roughest looking out of all of us. “I have to ask, my lord…do you require any assistance? We had heard that…well, that you had been kidnapped.”

Akios’s expression was serene. I don’t know how—my own heart was thudding away with such violence that it actually hurt. Already it seemed as though everything could so easily go wrong.

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But Akios was smart. He knew that these four couldn’t stop us even if they tried.

“All is well here, boys,” Akios said. “But we do have important business to attend to, so if you could kindly get out of the way…”

“As you wish, lord governor,” the nomarch bowed his head and led his squad away. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d even been holding. Chances were that they’d go straight to their commander and report the incident, but with luck, we still had enough time to do what we’d planned.

A little later, the Sanguine Tower came into view, blacker than the black of the sky, a splinter of utter darkness. The moon, half-full, sat directly above, washing the world in white and pure light. Silhouettes moved along the walls surrounding the Tower complex. It wouldn’t be long before they spotted us.

“You’re taking the lead,” Camillan grunted, shoving an elbow into Akios’s side. “Get us through the eastern gate. Bring us to the portal. You’re a smart lad. You’ll know what to do and say. Keep in mind that Aurion here will be close at all times and that you, governor, have a skeleton.”

“Yes,” Akios said, “I do have a skeleton. Very nicely observed. And what’s the relevance of this?”

“Only that Aurion here is a necromancer, and that your skeleton is entirely at his mercy.”

Akios frowned at me. “Nonsense. There are none—”

I focused on an upper right molar in his mouth. A single thought, a twitch of power, and I ripped it out of his gum.

Akios’s face twisted. To his credit, he didn’t cry out, didn’t do anything other than ball his hands into fists and, a moment later, spit out the traitorous tooth, along with a thick gob of dark blood.

“Now just imagine I did that to all of your teeth,” I said, trying to sound as cruel as possible, but, really, feeling a little guilty. This cold, callous approach was not one I was well accustomed to. Even still, observing Justinia had already taught me a lot. “Or imagine, even, me turning every bone in your legs to dust with little more than a thought. Imagine me cracking your skull, or twisting your spine—”

“I rather get the point,” Akios growled, wiping blood from his lip. He tongued the hole where, moments before, a tooth had been. “The demonstration was hardly necessary. I will lead the way, for whatever good it will ultimately accomplish.”

True to his word, the governor led us to the eastern gate.

It opened as we approached. I looked back at Felice, who shot me a comforting smile. Justinia caught my eye. She looked the calmest out of all of us. She hadn’t liked this plan, hadn’t liked me joining the Thorns, hadn’t liked any of this—but I was beginning to wonder if it was even possible for her to feel fear. The woman just took everything in her stride.

Four Sun Knights emerged from the open gate.

I’d already had the opportunity to see Sun Knights in the flesh—but this was different. The four walked in perfect lockstep. They were tall, broad-shouldered, clad in elegant, golden armor. Their weapons appeared, to my eyes, grossly oversized. The black fist of the Autarchy decorated their chest plates.

“No further,” one called out. “Drop all weapons and submit.”

Akios stepped forward, plastering on a diplomatic smile. “No need for all the formality. In case you do not recognize me—and you should—I am Governor Akios Erati, friend of the Autarch. I bid you stand down and let us pass. We have business to attend to.”

In preparation, I altered my vision so that I could see their auras.

I was immediately blinded. Akios’s aura was vast and crimson like a bloody sun. The Sun Knights, meanwhile, exuded golden light. As a test, I tried to pull at their bones, to determine how readily their skeletons would submit to me—

And was met with great resistance.

Something about the Sun Knights was blocking me. The Autarch’s blessing, perhaps.

But then why had Akios not been protected?

Whatever the answer, the result was concerning. I didn’t have as much control as I’d hoped.

If things went badly, my options would be limited.

“Lord governor,” the lead Sun Knight acknowledged Akios with a nod. “Your companions—they must identify themselves.”

“Fingers of the hand,” Akios said pleasantly. “You know how it is.”

“Wait here, lord governor. Someone is on their way.”

I did not like the sound of that. Judging by the way everyone else around me drew in breaths and shifted their weight, neither did they. Someone almost certainly meant an operative. Possibly even one who could sense that we didn’t have Dream Shards, or who could otherwise see through our deception.

I ground my teeth. It was too early to be caught out. I’d hoped that we’d at least be able to get through the gate before resorting to…other means.

My old tutor had forced me to read many books on strategy and tactics. There were holes in my education, but at the very least my order had attempted to prepare me for my destiny.

In one such book, a line that resonated with me now: the best plans are the ones that are adaptable. Rigid plans break fast, almost always. One must take into account chaotic variables.

Every human being, I was starting to realize, was a chaotic variable.

The universe was chaos.

“...we really can’t afford to be waiting,” Akios was saying, and credit to him, he was trying his hardest to get us through, no doubt fearing that any physical altercation might cost him his life.

No one else was going to do anything. They couldn’t, not with four Sun Knights right there.

I focused on their auras again. It was possible I could brute force my way through them, but it’d take power, and a lot of it; I might not have anything left afterward for whatever came next.

But necromancy is versatile.

Each Sun Knight cast a shadow. Now, into the raised palm of my hand, I whispered secret commands to these shadows.

And watched as they began to stir, twitching, extending, rising up behind the Sun Knights, possessed by necromantic energy, driven by my will. The shadows changed form, becoming long, slender knives.

At once, the four shadows plunged forward, finding tiny gaps in the armor of the knights, then puncturing skin and underlying meat. They drove forward, relentless, twisting and writhing now that they were inside their victims. The Sun Knights barely had time to gasp. They were driven to their knees, convulsing, blood running thick and black in the moonlight.

Everyone simply stared at the four corpses. Up on the wall, someone began to shout.