Day 17 of Midwinter, Sunset

The Watchful Crown, Falias

Annwn

The king’s army marched out late in the afternoon, much later than when Ethadon had thought they would leave. Watching from out of sight, I managed to catch a glimpse of my father riding tall in his saddle, his most valuable ally, uncle Dian Cécht, the god of healing, at his side. I didn’t see Ethadon, but I was sure my brother was there, likely marching among his troops, thrice the size he would normally command. For all his faults, he had likely recognized the hole that my and Caicher’s absence had left, and was amongst the soldiers, doing his best to keep up morale.

I strained to see any trace of Ruadan, but couldn’t find him amongst the hundreds of changelings marching to war. I wondered idly if their late departure was Ruadan’s doing. More likely, they were late because it took a very coordinated effort to move out so many soldiers in an organized fashion. In any case, Belenus was displeased with having to wait for Ruadan to uphold his part of the bargain. He grew even more displeased when it became clear his part of the bargain wouldn’t happen within the city walls.

I BELIEVE RUADAN HAS SOMEHOW RETAINED HIS CHANGELING SHIFTING ABILITY.

“That will only help his cause on the trip south,” I replied. As the day dragged on, we carefully surveyed the coming and going of guards from the eastern spire, learning the flow and rotation of the shifts. I knew some of this information already, but some nuances had changed, likely since Falias went to war. We had also used the time to think through and plan for Brigid’s rescue.

Above the tenth floor of the eastern spire were four mini-towers, historically used to hold the crown’s most dangerous enemies. We needed to get up to the tenth floor, then discover which of the towers Brigid was held captive in. We’d already ruled out simply entering through the ground-level entrances, which were heavily guarded at all times.

Unfortunately, the tenth floor was entirely windowless. We would need to enter through the windows of the ninth floor, which, of course, is exactly what I would have prepared for if I were in charge of the prison guards. Belenus seemed unconcerned, whereas I was worried we would end up murdering men and women that I knew and cared for.

As the last rays of the sun fell across the tower, we used them to propel ourselves to the window we’d chosen as our point of entry. We’d waited until just before the light faded from the city, ensuring no one would see the rapid climb. One minute we were at the base of the Watchful Spire, the next we were preparing to burst through the ninth-story window… or that’s what I believed, until we paused outside the open window, waiting.

Belenus had full control over my body and held us completely still, studying the environment and threat level as the full moon rose high in the sky.

THIS IS A TRAP

, he murmured in my mind.

“Almost certainly,” I agreed, “but do we have any other choice?”

We carefully moved around the top of the tower, finding that the other windows had also been left open.

THE BARS HAVE BEEN REMOVED.

Belenus was right, the iron bars around the windows on this floor had recently been removed. I could still see stone debris from where they had been hammered out. It was not only a trap, but a painfully obvious one, far less subtle than I would have expected of my father or brothers, and all the more strange because of it.

THERE ARE TWO GUARDS INSIDE.

“Two guards we can handle,” I said, suddenly worried. “Let me talk to them before you light them up.”

I felt and heard Belenus laugh in my mind, a sound I was becoming too familiar with. It was reserved laughter, but I could now recognize it for what it was. Belenus wasn’t one to laugh at a joke or a play on words. No, he laughed when something was about to go terribly wrong. I had a suspicion of who I was about to encounter in the tower.

Before I could move, however, Belenus triggered the domain classification description that I hadn’t seen when I had earned my domain.

Scion of Justice

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

This classification reflects a domain centered on judgment, truth, and the moral weight of action. Unlike domains tied to raw elements or physical mastery, this classification manifests in a person’s ability to perceive guilt, recognize dishonor, and weigh the hidden intentions of others. Those marked as Scions of Justice are not passive arbiters but active participants in administering judgment.

“I think I understand your point.”

GO INSIDE. I WILL GIVE YOU FULL CONTROL.

His unexpected willingness to forgo his own control filled me with dread as I stepped into the room. Within the sparsely lit, wide-open space, I immediately spotted the two men who stood back to back in the middle of the room in order to scan each of the open windows.

As I had feared, I was face-to-face with Ethadon and my younger brother, Gaible. Ethadon looked resigned, clearly having expected me. Gaible’s face held an expression of utter shock. I wasn’t sure if it was because he wasn’t expecting to see me, the terrifying, visible changes in my body, or simply the fact that I had somehow entered the eastern spire through a ninth-floor window.

Gaible was the youngest of my brothers and fairly new to Annwn, having been brought to Ériu by our father in the brief period of time since the Cold Moon. He was still learning about the world of Annwn and had not yet been corrupted by our father’s influence. He still had a childlike sweetness and looked up to each of his older brothers, me most of all, because of the small kindnesses I showed him. When we sparred, I taught him instead of embarrassing him, like Ethadon. In the delegation of duties, I had not given him the worst jobs, like Caicher.

It had been a cruel trick to set Gaible to wait for me. There was only one possible outcome here. If my brothers stood between me and Brigid, there would be bloodshed I wouldn’t be able to avoid, no matter how much I wanted to. Belenus would see to that. I wondered whether Gaible’s presence in the tower was Ethadon’s idea or whether it had been Father pulling the strings.

“Brothers,” I said into the quiet. “I have no quarrel with either of you. Stand aside.”

“Did you kill him, Tadg?” Ethadon asked, his voice shaking. He had already slid his sword out of his sheath, though his stance was unusually awkward. I looked closer and realized his other arm hung limp at his side. I could see, under his armor, that his shoulder was wrapped in the fabric of the healer.

HIS COLLARBONE HAS NOT YET FULLY HEALED.

“Caicher’s death was an accident,” I said, approaching them slowly, not yet drawing Vowkeeper.

“What about Jolsten and Marc?” Gaible asked, his gaze filled with fear. His eyes were caught on Jolsten’s hilt hanging from my waist.

“They attacked me,” I said, pleading for them to understand. “I had no choice!”

“I felt you there, behind me, last night,” Ethadon said. “I don’t know what you did to me, but I haven’t been able to rest since.” His voice cracked, and I could see a slight tremor in his sword arm. My heart felt as if it was breaking. Read full story at novel✦fire.net

“Please, brothers. Tell me which of the stairwells leads to Brigid’s cell.” I watched them intently to see if even a slight movement would give away the answer, hoping desperately to find her and escape without having to hurt either of them.

Gaible’s gaze snapped to Ethadon. “Brigid is here?” From his tone, I could tell that he truly hadn’t known.

“Shut up,” Ethadon replied, his eyes never leaving me.

“I won’t ask you again.” As I spoke, I activated Blazing Mantle and began to glow with a soft light. The two men stood with their mouths agape as the light began to grow brighter.

Shaking off his surprise, Ethadon charged at me, swinging his blade. I reached up, catching his wrist mid-swing. I held it there, looking into his fear-filled eyes. Where he had once been stronger than me, I now held him still with ease.

I heard the sound of Gaible drawing his sword as he stepped around behind me. “Brother, please. Let him go,” he said. I looked back at the young man. He swallowed hard, visibly scared, but held his sword firmly. He held himself well, and I knew that Father would be proud of him. I too was proud of him.

ACTIVATE PENITENT BRAND.

“Not on him…,” I said to myself, trying to resist. “Never on him.”

I was interrupted by a piercing pain in my midsection. Looking down, I saw Ethadon’s injured arm holding the hilt of the dagger he’d lodged deeply in my abdomen. The dagger dripped with a black fluid that I knew immediately was poison. I paused for a split second in disbelief, hot anger rising within me. Ethadon had poisoned me!

My Blazing Mantle boon immediately flashed to the fullest extent of its power, reminding me of the great flash that Father’s Sword of Light could produce. Ethadon screamed as he was blinded. Behind me, I heard Gaible cry out and drop his sword. From far below, I heard guards approaching, dozens of them, by the sounds of it.

“It’s the one on the far left,” Gaible’s pained voice said. “They emptied the others earlier today.” The boy was on his knees, his hands over his eyes. He removed them slowly, blinking, blinking as he tried to focus on me. “I didn’t know it was her, brother.”

I staggered toward him, stumbling as the poison that Ethadon had used on me wound its way through my system. Even with my extra healing, the poison was having the intended effects. My movements felt sluggish and clumsy. I concentrated, working hard to place my hand on the top of Gaible’s head to ruffle his messy brown mop of hair.

“Don’t let them ruin you,” I whispered. “You are the best of us.” He said nothing, his eyes still struggling to focus on where I stood in front of him.

Grunting, I slid the dagger from my stomach and bent to cut a shallow line down Ethadon’s arm. It was a superficial wound, but I knew there was enough poison left on the blade that he would suffer a miserable fate…the fate he had wished on me. I knew that I should feel sorrow, or even regret for what we’d lost, but all I felt was anger burning through me.

Neither Ethadon nor I spared the other any last words. I turned from my brothers to stumble up the stairwell to the tenth floor and from there, to Brigid’s cell. I staggered to the trapdoor, my breathing heavy and my vision hazy.

I winced as Belenus activated Dawnpiercer, and I felt the poison slowly burn its way out of my system as I lifted the door to Brigid’s cell.