“Lux? Are you awake, Lux?” Val’s voice roused me from my nap. “Lux?”

I left her questioning unanswered and resettled myself in my chair, deepening my entanglement in Lia’s arms. The ache in my neck and back from my awkward sleeping position told me we had remained in place for far longer than I had originally intended, but the soft rise and fall of her chest against mine was more than enough to convince me to remain exactly where I was.

“I do not believe he is awake,” Val spoke again.

“Don’t wake him on my account—I’ll come back another time,” the dulcet bass tones of the Guildmaster answered her.

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Halvaar’s voice and immediately scanned the room. Val knelt in front of the chair I shared with Lia, watching me with soft, pale olive eyes as I regained my bearings. The suite was far darker than it had been when I dozed off; it was clear from the soft white glow of the celestial projector hanging over Syndrai that my appointed meeting time of sundown had arrived. A crackling fire in both hearths across from me provided most of the light in the common room and cast long, wavering shadows along the stone floor. The flickering firelight accentuated the weathered creases of Halvaar’s face as he stood at the entrance to the foyer, but traces of a relieved smile hidden beneath his braided beard and mustache left the wizened man looking far gentler than his usual stony demeanor allowed.

“Lux,” Val repeated again, “Guildmaster Halvaar has arrived for your meeting, as you requested.” She sat down beside me in a chair which appeared to have been dragged from its original position across the room until its arm was directly abutting mine.

“Hey, Halvaar,” I whispered, doing my best to allow Lia her much-needed rest. “I didn’t know you were stopping by—I would’ve put on some clothes.”

“I believe we’re well beyond such formalities,” he replied, taking his cue to enter the room and sit down on the couch across from my seat.

“Well, that’s probably true, but I’m still expecting you to be wearing clothes next time we meet.”

The faint nod of his head and widening of his smile was the closest I had ever seen to a laugh from the statuesque man. “I’m glad to see you up, Lux. After Valandra’s report upon your return, I was concerned you might not recover from your injuries. I can see now that my worry was misplaced.”

My nostrils instinctively flared at his mention of my new infirmity, but I fought back against the reflex as quickly as I could. “Val mentioned that you wanted to talk. Was there something speci—”

A tug on my shoulder and a gentle kiss on my neck informed me that our conversation had woken Lia. “Hey,” she said, her eyes still half-closed while she smiled up at me, “how’re you feeling?”

“I’m good—nice and warm,” I answered, tightening my arms around her to savor the heat of her body against my bare skin. “Halvaar and I were about to catch up.”

Her eyebrows arched while she attempted to parse the information, sleepily considering the statement until she turned and found the Guildmaster seated directly across from us. “Halvaar!” she started, lurching out of my embrace. “I didn’t know you were here! I thought our meeting would be in President Magnusson’s office.”

“As I told your husband, we no longer need to adhere to formalities—I felt it more apt to meet you down here, given the nature of Lux’s injury.”

“You really think I’m so broken that I can’t handle a flight of stairs?” I snapped, speaking before my better judgment was able to hold back the biting question. It was abundantly clear that he had intended his gesture to be a kindness, but the simple thought of my injury influencing his decision was enough to make my stomach twist in embarrassment.

“I apologize if I’ve caused you offense—that was not my intention,” he answered quickly, putting his decades of diplomatic service on full display. “I’d like to accommodate you in whatever way you deem appropriate.”

I took a deep breath while I searched for the words to make my own apology, but the effort was in vain; Lia crossed her arms and slid forward to the edge of the chair to interpose herself between Halvaar and me. “Was there something you needed, Guildmaster?” she asked in an unusually flat tone.

“I’m here to offer thanks on behalf of Doram and its people,” he answered with a reverent bow of his head. “Given the aftermath of your actions earlier this week, it’s clear that we were in far more danger than I had originally believed. The sheer number of Mimics concealed within our citizenry was…disturbing to see.”

“How was that even possible? How could you not know?” Lia continued in her cutting line of questioning.

“There are many reasons, but a misinformation campaign from both the Mining and Stoneshaper’s Guilds is chief among them—we were purposely misled in regards to both the rate of expansion of our mining operations and the growth of our population,” he explained. “My personal failure also plays a role in the Mimics’ spread. Given Doram’s economic stagnation over the past decade, I was more than pleased to see what I thought were the positive results of our expansion initiative with the rail carriage systems. I allowed the Mining Guilds to continue operating with less-than-adequate supervision.”

“You cannot blame yourself for the actions of the Shadebinders,” Val consoled him. “I would not have believed it were possible had I not seen the evidence for myself—it was still difficult, even then.”

The Guildmaster let out a long, deflating sigh. “The Shadebinders,” he murmured. “I’ve spoken with Shaper Kord at length since it was revealed he was a member of their order.” Despite his imposing size, I saw a clear shiver creep down his spine. “He named an additional nineteen Stoneshapers beyond those Shaper Kari listed in our initial investigation. It seems as though it had been their plan from the beginning to give up certain members of the Shadebinders in order to lead us away from their true plans.”

I mirrored Halvaar’s discomfort as my thoughts turned to my torture of the young, fresh-faced Stoneshaper. His blackened face and dark, sightless eyes stared straight into my soul while he babbled away in my memories. Are you a Shadebinder too, Lux? Are you like him?

“So what happens now?” Lia asked. “We stopped the Shadebinders—for real this time. All of the Mimics are gone. What are you going to do?”

“We will rebuild,” he answered. “Given the recent halving of our workforce, I have no doubt Doram will quickly enter a period of recession, but…if the alternative is prosperity under the control of the Shadebinders, I would rather see us fail altogether.”

“I’m sure that won’t happen,” I assured him, having regained my composure. “Times will be tough for a while, sure, but you’ll figure things out. You Stoneshapers seem to be a hearty bunch—if anybody can make it through this, it’s you.”

“I hope you’re right,” he murmured.

Lia pounced on the moment of silence that followed. “Was there anything else you needed? We’re overdue to go get some dinner.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Her terse questioning left Halvaar entirely unfazed. “This meeting is entirely on your terms—I’ll leave you to your meal, if that is what you’d like. For today, I am content simply knowing that you’re well—both of you,” he added, nodding to Lia and me in turn. “Despite Valandra’s assurances, we had grown worried for your health over the past few days. I’m sure that President Magnusson will be overjoyed to hear of your recovery, as well.”

“Where is Magnus, by the way?” I asked. “I figured he would’ve come with you for this.”

“That was his desire, but a matter of state has taken his attention—he is currently welcoming a delegation from Yoria.”

“Yoria?” Val started, her posture stiffening. “Is there news from Kaldan?”

“That is my hope,” the Guildmaster replied. “There has been no official word from the capital since King Yorrell’s death. I’m optimistic that our guests will illuminate us on the succession of the Golden Throne, as well as the state of the country as a whole.”

I continued to sink back in my chair as another round of visions of my past sins assaulted me. The dark crystalline form of the former king fused to his molten throne sparkled in the desaturated light of my void flames, filling me with equal parts disgust and wrathful triumph. “I don’t imagine your guests would be very happy if they found out you were hosting the Umbral Flames,” I muttered.

“President Magnusson and I have discussed the matter and have come to a similar conclusion, which is why we will not be informing them that you’re here,” he said, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “That isn’t to say that we’ll be asking you to hide yourselves from them—you are still free to partake in any of the amenities our capitol provides, and you may come and go from your chambers as you please. Should you find yourselves attracting unwanted attention, please know that you will have the entire weight of the Stoneshapers’ Guild and the Doramese government behind you. You will always be guests of honor here, regardless of your standing in Kaldan.”

The weight of the councilor’s vow finally knocked the annoyance from Lia’s face. “Oh. We, uhm…thank you,” she said quietly, bowing her head. “That means a lot.”

He stood up and returned her bow. “It’s the least we can do. Once the delegation has returned to Yoria, we can hold a more formal meeting to discuss recent events. Until then, I will continue to pray for your recovery.” He made his way to the foyer, but he paused before he left the common area. “Doram will forever be in your debt. I have made this offer before, but I would like to remind you that it still stands—I will do everything in my power to fulfill any requests you have of us. President Magnusson has pledged to do the same. Please don’t hesitate to ask us for anything you need.”

“We appreciate it, Halvaar, really,” I said. “To be honest, though, I’m not sure there’s much we need from you apart from food and shelter. You’ve already paid us way more than we needed, and I don’t think it’s a great time for another lavish party.”

He gave me a small nod in response, watching me with hard, inscrutable eyes as his hand stroked the length of his braided beard. Despite the fact that our conversation had reached its natural end, he continued to linger at the foyer entrance like a shadowy gargoyle, leaving an awkward silence to grow between us.

“Something on your mind?” I prodded him.

“There is…something I’d like to say,” he started, his unusual hesitance immediately setting me on edge. “Though we take great care in our chosen profession, the life of a Stoneshaper is quite dangerous. Even the smallest fault in our work can lead to disastrous consequences. As I told you before, our Guild treats any instance of structural collapse as a matter of the highest importance. This duty extends not only to repairing damaged structures and preventing further collapse, but also to caring for those injured in any such incidents.”

I blinked at him, waiting for some sort of explanation for the sudden tangent. “I’m…not really sure where you’re going with this one.”

A short puff of air sent a ripple through his bushy mustache. “Before I was elected Guildmaster, I spent over a decade as the Stoneshapers’ Chief Engineer. I worked on a variety of projects in my tenure there, the most noteworthy of which focused on the creation of…functional prosthetics.”

My jaw dropped as I stared at the towering man, suddenly doubting my ears. “You made what?”

“I understand this may be a sensitive subject—forgive me for bringing it up so soon. If you would rather wai—”

“Tell me, Halvaar. Now.”

He bowed his head and obliged. “We have the capability to create a functional prosthetic leg with multiple points of articulation. I would like to be clear up front—it is in no way a perfect replacement for your lost limb. However, given enough time and proper rehabilitation, I believe it would give you the ability to walk, and even run, without the use of additional supports.”

A disorienting buzz filled my head as my thoughts exploded out in multiple directions at once. My barely repressed grief clashed with a newly budding hope while imagined visions of my future flashed half-formed through my mind; I saw myself repeatedly trip and fall over a gaudy Stoneshaper prosthetic, spar with Lia and Val at full speed as if nothing had changed, and hop across my bedchamber with an awkward one-legged gait, experiencing each suite of accompanying emotions simultaneously. A dull roar accompanied the rush of burning blood that flushed my cheeks and ears, tying knots in my stomach even as an excited flutter thrummed in my chest.

“Lux?” Lia tipped my face up to meet her eyes. The amber pools blazed with life in the wavering light from the hearths and instantly freed me from my stupor; the angry buzzing in my mind gave way to a suffocating silence, and I felt the weight of three pairs of eyes tracking every subtle movement I made. “You’re okay,” she murmured in my ear, gently stroking my cheek with her thumb.

“I’m okay,” I echoed. A blanket of static energy tingled across the surface of my skin as I shook off the last remnants of my daze. “Thank you, Halvaar,” I said, tipping my head out from behind Lia’s watchful gaze to address him directly. “I’ll take you up on that…eventually. I think. I need to…uhm…” I sighed and shook my head when my words failed me. What little energy I had left me in a sudden rush, and I slumped back in my chair in defeat. Pain snaked through my jaw as I ground my teeth and stared down in disgust at the injury that had so completely ruined me.

“I didn’t expect you to make any decisions today,” he told me, his low voice taking on a warm and comforting tone. “What has been days for us has only been hours for you—I’m sure it has been an overwhelming afternoon, to say the least. Please take as much time as you need to consider what we’ve talked about. We can meet again when you’re ready.”

I attempted to form a coherent thought, but the words failed to form, so I gave the Guildmaster a feeble nod instead.

“Until then,” he said, offering a reverential bow before he turned to leave. “Primes watch over you.”

“And you, together,” Val replied, finishing the religious benediction.

After the heavy door finally closed, Lia wrapped her arms around me and held her head against my chest. “How’re you feeling?” she asked, squeezing me tightly in her arms.

“I’m fine,” I murmured, making no effort to hide the lie.

Val spun to face us and planted her elbows on the arm of our chair, resting her chin on her hands. “Are you hungry, Lux?” Her head tipped side to side as she watched me with hawk-like attention. “You have yet to eat a full meal since you woke.”

“Right! We were all going to have dinner together!” Lia exclaimed, perking up in my lap. “That’ll be nice—I’m starving.”

I sent a thin tendril of mana racing across the room and out into the hallway, scanning the short distance between our suites and our usual dining hall. A constant flow of traffic filled my head with a sea of faint multicolored lights; each passing mana signature deepened the burning in my gut as I imagined what my trip to the kitchen would look like, killing what little appetit I had. “You guys go ahead. I’m not that hungry.”

“Val and I can go pick up the food and bring it back here to eat,” Lia offered gently, immediately cutting through to the source of my unease. “Is there anything you’re craving in particular? Maybe something with twinpeppers, or an asperberry tart? Or some of those crispy little mushrooms you like!”

I sighed in the face of her coddling optimism. “Anything’s fine,” I said.

She and Val hopped up in unison. “I’ll get you something tasty,” she smiled, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. A trace of golden energy lingered at the base of my neck as she withdrew. Let me know if you need anything while we’re gone, okay?

I think I can manage sitting around doing nothing. Though I intended the statement to come across as playful, I felt my bitterness tinge the mental words.

Lia graciously overlooked my brusque tone. “We’ll be right back, okay?” She smiled at me, then shared a quick look with Val before the pair made their way through the foyer and out into the hall.