Pale grey. Not the black of my walls. Almost indistinguishable from the general greyness of the Room. No wonder I’ve never noticed you before.

Where did you come from? Or did you come from anywhere at all? You’ve been here the whole time, haven’t you? I just didn’t notice you. Like the vision of the people in my head. They were there long before I noticed them. For how long? The well? It all goes back to the well, doesn’t it?

Why are you here? Who put you here?

She is powerful indeed if she can detect us in this place.

Who are you? Where are you? No, no. That’s not now, is it? That was then. I saw something then and you won’t let me remember. What are you hiding?

The most beautiful woman.

I can almost see. It’s there, hidden from me, but I know it’s there. I need to remember.

Felitïa.

Yes?

Felitïa.

Who are you? What do you want?

Felitïa.

Stop calling my name if you’re not going to reveal yourself to me.

Felitïa, you must listen to me.

I can see you! Except...I can’t see you. But you’re right in front of me. I know you’re there! Show yourself!

Felitïa, you must listen to me.

No wait. This was then. It’s not now. I saw you then, and I can’t remember now because you won’t let me. Why won’t you let me?

Felitïa, you must listen to me. You will soon forget this, but you must remember.

I’m trying.

Zandrue. Rudiger. Borisin.

Pain.

Meleng. Corvinian.

I’ve dealt with her shoulder, but the ankle’s going to be the difficult part. I’ll need a splint.

Wait, what?

Jorvanultumn.

So much pain.

Quilla. Kindanog.

There wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t in pain, but some areas hurt more than others. Her shoulder. And her right foot and leg. More pain shot through her ankle right then. It was excruciating. It drew her back towards consciousness.

No! No, not yet! I’m remembering! I’m finally remembering! Don’t do this yet!

Nin-Akna.

Felitïa’s eyes flew open and she gasped for air. Every breath hurt as it passed through her swollen throat.

Strangled.

The memories of what had just happened to her flooded back.

Agranim had tried to strangle her. He had almost succeeded. Almost crushed her throat.

“She is awake.”

Maneshka’s voice.

There was someone bent over her leg, doing something with her foot or her ankle. Someone standing beside that first someone, helping maybe. Her eyes were taking time to focus.

“Good.” Meleng’s voice this time. “Hopefully she doesn’t have concussion. Now hold that there. Keep it straight.”

Pain shot through her ankle again. She cried out, and the cry brought more pain from her throat.

“Are you sure this splint will hold?” Maneshka said. “It is not very strong.”

“I didn’t have much to work with,” Meleng said. “But I think I can take care of that. Keep holding it. If I...Yes...That should do it.” He mumbled his next several words, or maybe she was just feeling too much pain to understand him. “It worked! I did it! You can let go now. I’ve fused the pieces of the splint together and strengthened them. It should hold. I think. I hope.”

The pain had subsided a little. Not much, but it felt a relief. “What...” Felitïa started to say, but her voice came out as little more than a rasp, and the insides of her throat continued to protest.

“Oh no, don’t try to speak,” Meleng said. “Your throat is very swollen.”

Her eyes were starting to focus now, and she could see Meleng and Maneshka more clearly. Quilla and Garet stood a little farther back in the room. All around them were metal shelves of books. Why were they in the library stacks? Why was she laid out on a hard table? Surely there was a better place to take her than here.

“We were so worried about you,” Quilla said, coming closer. The others nodded—even Garet. “Meleng said it could be bad.”

Maneshka moved to the left of Felitïa’s head, placed her hand lightly on Felitïa’s cheek, and smiled down at her.

“To be honest,” Meleng said, “it could still be bad. The ankle should be fine. It’ll take awhile to heal, but it should be fine. You had a dislocated shoulder, but that’s dealt with too. I’m worried about head injuries, and what appears to be a strangulation attempt against you.”

“That was Agranim,” Garet said. “I couldn’t stop him. The others were on top of me and I couldn’t get to her. But she fought him off. I don’t know what she did, but she had him and several other Volgs screaming their heads off. Truth is, I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for her, and I went there supposedly to protect her.”

“How long was she without air?” Meleng asked.

“Hell if I know,” Garet replied. “Seconds, minutes. In the heat of battle, kid, time loses all meaning.”

“Oxygen deprivation can cause serious problems,” Meleng said. “We won’t know for a while yet what they might be.”

“Meleng, you shouldn’t be saying things like that right in front of her,” Quilla said.

“But what else am I supposed to say? She needs to know the truth.”

She wanted to scold them both for talking about her rather than to her, but she decided to heed Meleng’s earlier words and not speak. Her throat hurt too much anyway. And she was so tired.

She had nearly burnt herself out. She was going to need another prolonged period of no spellcasting. And she couldn’t sense any of their emotions. Their presences were in the Room, but she was getting nothing from them. The walls—her own black walls—were not obeying her either.

Rest was what she needed now. Lots of rest.

She smiled at Maneshka, contented herself with the image of Maneshka’s face, closed her eyes, and let herself drift back to sleep.

* * * * *

When she opened her eyes again, Maneshka was gone. Someone had propped her right leg up with a small stack of books. To her side, Meleng was dozing in a chair, his head leaning against the side of one of the book shelves. There was no sign of Garet and Quilla.

She hadn’t spent much time in the stacks. It was mostly Maneshka and Meleng who gathered the books for their research, so she didn’t recognise exactly where she was right now. There was a spiral staircase leading up to the next level just a short distance away though. None of the other staircases she’d seen in the stacks were spiral, so that left her exact location even more uncertain. Once again, she wondered why she was here.

The pain had lessened a lot. She had a headache now, and her throat was still sore, although not as bad. The pain in her ankle was a continuous throbbing now, rather than the sharp stabs of earlier.

She decided to risk speaking.

“Meleng.”

Her voice was still raspy, and it still caused pain to speak, but it seemed better than before.

Meleng opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. “What? Oh, oh, sorry. I just nodded off a little. I was...oh, it’s you! You’re awake!”

“How long was I asleep?” she asked.

“All night and most of this morning. I’m not sure what time it is right now. I fell asleep too. Could be afternoon now, I guess.”

She smiled at him and tried to move, to sit up. Her muscles groaned and protested.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“No, don’t move,” Meleng said. “Not yet. You should keep the ankle elevated as much as possible. Sinitïa’s making you some crutches, but until they’re done, you’ll need assistance to walk.”

“I understand,” Felitïa said.

“Oh, also, if you...uh...that is...” He looked away from her and she could feel embarrassment from him—at least her telepathy had recovered a bit. “If you need to, you know, pee or other bodily functions stuff, you’ll need help too. We’ve got some pans here for that.”

“Yes, I could actually use that help right now,” she said.

He nodded. “I’ll go tell the others you’re awake. Quilla or Maneshka will come help you.”

“That’ll be fine.”

He hurried to the stairs.

“Meleng,” she called after him and he paused. “First, can you tell me why we’re here? I can guess, but I need to hear it. What’s happened?”

“The Volgs want your head,” he said. “Literally. They’ve demanded your head. Chopped off your body, that is. They’ve also declared war on Arnor and the rest of the world. So we’re hiding you down here. I’ll go get the others.” He hurried up the stairs.

She’d been afraid it was something like that. She’d known the risks going into this. It wasn’t just her own potential death. Cerus had made it clear in his request that she not start a war. And what had she done? Exactly that. Maybe she shouldn’t have even tried. It would have been safer. But they’d had so little progress with everything else. There didn’t seem any other alternative.

Gods, what had she done?

A little while later, she was sitting up on the table, her leg propped up by the books again. Maneshka stood beside her, holding her hand. Quilla was pacing the room, almost like she was making up for Garet’s absence.

Meleng came down the stairs, followed by Cerus. Her half-brother came over beside her while Meleng held back a bit. “Good morning,” Cerus said and touched her forehead. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been better,” Felitïa said. “But I’ll recover.”

She could sense anger from him—anger directed at her—though he wasn’t doing anything to show it. And that made her want to cry.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“About what?”

“What I’ve done.”

“And what have you done?”

“Meleng said the Volgs have declared war.”

Cerus nodded. “They have, but don’t go thinking that’s your fault.”

“But I thought they blame me. They want my head, apparently.”

“Oh, they do. They want the head of the Will-Breaker. They actually used that name before identifying specifically you. But you’re just a convenient excuse. You haven’t been there. The Volgs dropped the threat of war right from the start. They claim they want to live in the rest of the world in peace, that they have exhausted the resources of the island they were banished to. They threatened war if they do not get their way.”

“What was the response?” Felitïa asked.

“Mixed,” Cerus said. “Some nations said no outright; others were willing to talk. But it was obvious early on that the Volgs were hoping for war. They just needed an excuse.”

“And I gave them that.”

“Yes, you did, but they would have found another if you hadn’t.”

“At least it wouldn’t have been me.”

“It’s a moot point now.”

“Oh, come on, Cerus. I’m a telepath. I can sense your disappointment and anger. You know I screwed up.”

Cerus leaned on the table. “Yes, I am angry. But I also recognise that my anger isn’t justified. It’s just an emotional response. I knew what you were doing and I didn’t object. I even encouraged it. I have no right to be angry at you.”

“Yes, you do. They used me. They knew I’d want to do something like this, so they set things up so I could. I was so sure I could get in and out undetected.”

“We all did,” Quilla said. “Cerus is right. It’s not your fault.”

“You don’t understand. They played me. All this talk of Will-Breaker. I began to fall for the implications of what that name means. I’ve been discovering more about my abilities recently, learning to use them better. But I’m not as good as I thought I was; I’m not as powerful. They used that against me. Like I said before, I have no control over my life.”

“Okay, now you’re just being stupid, Felitïa,” Quilla snapped. “You don’t know the Volgs used you. You don’t know they set you up. You’re trying to help me. You’re trying to do good.”

Her initial instinct was to insist that no, Quilla was wrong. She had messed up. But if Cerus was right, if the Volgs really had been itching for war the entire time, they would have found something else. They probably would have blamed her anyway.

“Garet said you found something,” Quilla continued.. “A locket or something that might help.”

“Yes, of course, the locket,” Felitïa said. “It’s in my pack. Where’s my pack?”

“Upstairs, I think,” Maneshka said. “To be honest, I did not pay it much attention. You looked so injured. We brought you straight here.”

“It’s all right,” Quilla said. “I put it aside. I’ll go get it.”

Felitïa nodded and Quilla hurried off.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Felitïa said. At Cerus’s sigh, she qualified, “I mean for my behaviour just now. I always get a little weird when I over-strain myself. Cerus, dare I ask how Mother and Father have responded to my activities?”

Cerus grimaced.

“It’s okay,” Felitïa said. “I can take it.”

“You’ve been banished. You are not allowed back in Arnor City.”

“You’re not even allowed to travel back on the Arnorin ships,” Meleng added. “Neither am I.”

“Your mother said you could rot here for the rest of your life for all she cared,” Cerus continued. “With your...uh...with Maneshka.”

“With my whore?” Felitïa said.

Cerus cleared his throat. “Those were her words, yes.”

Maneshka looked confused. “The translation spell appears to be blocking an offensive term.”

“She called you a slur for a prostitute,” Felitïa said.

“I see. I am beginning to understand why you do not like your mother.”

Felitïa squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about her.”

“I am not worried,” Maneshka replied.

“What about Garet?” Felitïa asked. “He was with me.”

“No one knows it was him,” Cerus replied. “The Volgs said you had an accomplice, but they did not identify him. Your mother has assumed it was Meleng, though no one else has. So Garet has not been banished. Neither has Quilla. Yet. Though I think your mother is actively looking for an excuse. Oh, Sinitïa sends her best wishes. She would really like to come see you, but Annai is being too attentive. Luckily, Annai hasn’t recognised the crutches Sinitïa’s making for you for what they are. She just thinks they’re another of Sinitïa’s silly art projects. Sinitïa says they should be done soon.”

“Tell her thanks, and tell her that if there’s any way for us to see each other, I’ll find it. And Meleng too.”

Cerus nodded. “I’d better get back before people start wondering where I am. I can’t risk anyone discovering I know where you are.”

“I understand,” Felitïa said. “Thank you.”

Cerus started to leave, but paused again. “One more thing. You should stay down here. I know it’s not the most comfortable place, but I’ll make sure you are supplied with amenities. Whatever you do, don’t try to return to your apartment.”

Felitïa nodded. “I need to spend time recovering anyway. I’m not going to be moving about much for a week or more probably. Can I ask one thing of you?”

“Of course.”

“Check on Marna, please. I suspect Annai will claim her, but she deserves better than that.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Cerus headed up the stairs.

Felitïa leaned her head against Maneshka. “What a situation. I’m glad you’re here.”

Maneshka kissed Felitïa’s forehead. “I am afraid I have bad news, too. The dinner with Kindanog is cancelled.”

“I suspected that,” Felitïa said.

“He was not pleased when he learned who you were. I had to lie and tell him I did not know what you were going to do, and that I have not seen you since the incident. He believes me. He trusts me, and it breaks my heart to break his trust.”

“I’m sorry.”

Maneshka ran her fingers through Felitïa’s hair. “Do not worry. I made my decision as much as you made yours.”

Felitïa leaned over, put her arms around Maneshka, and stayed like that for a while. Meleng looked—and felt, Felitïa could sense—a little uncomfortable. Eventually, Felitïa felt guilty enough that she let go of Maneshka. Quilla returned a few moments after that and handed Felitïa’s bag to her.

Felitïa dumped the contents out beside her on the table. “I grabbed a few papers from what I think was Agranim’s office, but this is the real prize.” She held up the locket.

“It’s so big,” Quilla said.

“Well, Volgs are big,” Meleng said. “I guess it makes sense they’d want big jewellery.”

“What is inside?” Maneshka asked.

Felitïa opened the locket and passed it to Maneshka, who then passed it to Quilla.

Quilla pulled up her nose. “Ugh. Who are all these women who keep posing with Volgs? It’s disgusting.” She snapped the locket closed.

“Unlike the portrait upstairs,” Felitïa said, “this is much more recent. Castroff is still alive, so maybe the woman is too. I’m hoping we can find out who she is.”

Meleng raised his hand. “Can I...uh...can I see?”

“Sorry,” Quilla said, and shoved the locket at him. “It just makes me angry.”

Meleng took the locket and opened it again. “She looks like she could be a Ninifin.”

“Exactly,” Felitïa said. “Meleng, are you okay to move about outside?”

He nodded. “I think so. As long as I stay away from just about anyone from Arnor. The Queen wanted me arrested and executed, but the King wouldn’t allow it without definite proof I was your accomplice. Cerus argued that I didn’t have the strength or skill to have fought and killed a bunch of Volgs. So I’m just banished from Arnor City. But I can walk about here.”

“Good,” Felitïa said. “Because I need you and Quilla to go to the Ninifins. I can’t be seen. Besides, I’m too weak. I can’t even walk. Take the locket. Show it only to Queen Nin-Xoco or Nin-Akna. Find out if the Ninifin in the picture is someone they know and if she’s here. It could explain how Agranim intended to carry out the threat on her.”

Quilla took the locket back from Meleng. “We’ll find her.”

“I don’t necessarily want you to find her,” Felitïa said. “Just find out if she’s here. She’s probably dangerous if Agranim intended to use her as an assassin. Let Nin-Akna’s guards deal with her.”

“We understand,” Quilla said. “Trust me, I won’t be taking any unnecessary risks. I’m a bit of a coward at heart. But if this helps us find Corvinian, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Just be careful.”

They both nodded and headed off.

Felitïa turned back to Maneshka and smiled. She wanted desperately to just lie in her arms, but there was work to be done, so she contented herself with one kiss. “How’s the translation of that work about the child of the Volgs coming?”

“As it happens,” Maneshka replied, “I think I have made progress.”