38 – A Challenge

Kynna watched Victor set up his teleportation array, softly tsking as she sipped the smooth, almost sweet wine they’d been drinking after dinner. “You could use the Imperial portal network. Iron Mountain has long been a part of it.”

Victor shrugged. “Then I’d have to walk all the way down to the portal chamber, get clearance from your watch commander, wait around for—”

“Fine, fine.” She waved her free hand. “You’ve made your point.”

“I had a nice evening with you, Kynna. I hope, once things settle a bit, we can do it more often.”

“I’d like that very much. I know I’ve already mentioned this, but I truly appreciate you taking the time to sit in on the hearings this evening. I’ll savor the memory of those vipers’ expressions for months.”

Victor chuckled, placing the last runestone down. “Are they that bad?”

“Not all of them. I’ve made a few real friends, I think, though Arona cautions me always to keep my guard up.”

“It’s hard, isn’t it?” Victor moved closer to the table, looking into her eyes. “I mean, for someone who doesn’t think that way. I’ve been burned before for trusting people too much, too quickly.” Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel·fıre·net

Kynna nodded. “I can believe that. You’re an earnest soul, Victor—even more than me. Luckily, you’ve the strength to make people very wary about crossing you.”

“Hah! You’re the most powerful person on this planet, Kynna.”

She shook her head. “Not personally. Of course, I command great power, but personally? I can assure you, there are those who aren’t cowed by my titles.”

Victor frowned, rubbing his chin. He hadn’t really considered that even an empress had to worry about her personal strength. “It must be a difficult thing to balance. You want to be strong, yet if you gain too much strength, you’ll be forced to leave the planet.”

“Yes, one of the peculiarities of Ruhn. What about you, Victor? You’ve grown in power so rapidly. I’ll be lost when you cross the veil.”

Victor sighed, leaning on the back of the chair beside the one where Kynna sat. He’d been just about ready to leave, and there she went, dragging him into another topic fraught with landmines. “I haven’t really thought about it, Kynna. I suppose you’re right, though; if I become a veil walker, I’ll need to do something about Iron Mountain. Will I still be allowed to hold titles? Can Draj run things for me? Will the veil walker guardians allow me to visit?”

She smiled. “Yes, to all of those questions. You’ll need to check in with the council, and they’ll issue a visitation permit. You simply won’t be allowed to participate in our lovely political games.”

Victor chuckled. “Poor me.”

“You jest, but in truth, it’s more like poor me. Having you as a champion has a severe chilling effect on potential uprisings.”

Victor shrugged a little sheepishly. “Well, it might take me a hundred years. Who knows?”

Kynna shook her head, swallowing a sip of wine. “You and I both know that’s unlikely. I can feel something different about you. Your presence makes me think of Lohanse. Even Galentine felt less…significant than you, and I mean after he broke through the veil.”

Victor knew Galentine was her former husband who’d left Ruhn behind when he’d attained veil walker status. He was the one who’d crafted the crown she wore, and it was more than a little surprising to hear her describe his presence as a veil walker being less than what she felt from him. He didn’t know how to respond. “Well, you know, everyone’s diff—”

“Oh, hush!” She stood, setting her wine glass down on the table. “You don’t have to feign modesty. You’re Victor! The champion who stood against more than thirty steel seekers at Iron Mountain. Your legend is secure in the annals of Ruhn’s history. It’s no wonder my simple, artisan husband didn’t fill a room with his presence the way you do.”

Victor self-consciously pushed his fingers through his hair. He felt a little trepidation in his gut as she moved around the table to stand very close. Was she drunk? Did he have to worry that—

Kynna grasped his arms just above the elbows and pulled, signaling her desire for an embrace and interrupting his racing thoughts. Victor put his arms around her, pulling her into his chest, and she folded against him, pressing her cheek over his heart.

“Your heart is like a war drum. I wonder, Victor, do you think I’ll be like the emperors and empresses of old? Do you think I’ll have a golden reign and then advance to veil walker and move on to something else—some mysterious life of adventure or scholarship?”

“Is that what you want?”

She didn’t answer right away, but her arms worked their way around his ribs, and he felt her nails gently scratching against his lats as she did her best to meld into him. They stood that way for a few seconds, and then she said, “I used to think I wanted a big family and a dynasty that lasted forever. After seeing what it takes—listening to Arona’s lessons on sociopathic political creatures—I just want to survive long enough to pass on the mantle without my family falling into ruin in the process.”

“You’ll make it. I don’t care if I’m still a steel seeker or not; if your life’s on the line, I’ll get you out of here. I don’t care if I have to fight every guardian veil walker.”

Kynna squeezed him more tightly. “Those are weighty words. Be careful, lest the fates hear you.”

Victor grinned, returning the pressure of her hug. “Let them hear me. You’re more than an employer to me, Kynna. You’re a friend, and I care about you. I wouldn’t be able to stand by while you fell to your rivals, even if I wanted to. It’s not in my nature.”

She inhaled deeply through her nose and let the breath out shakily. “Thank you. That means a great deal to me.” She released him then and took a few steps back. “In any case, that’s a worry for a much later day. Empress I am, and Empress I shall be—for a while, at least.”

Victor nodded, the appropriate words failing him. He wouldn’t deny that her embrace had affected him. He wouldn’t deny that she was beautiful, and her confession of vulnerability had stirred some protective urge in his deeper nature. In a way, he was relieved that she’d pulled back, but there was a part of him that wanted to pursue her. It was a small part, though, and when the rest of him caught up, he reminded himself about Tes and his less-than-explicitly stated desire to avoid further romantic entanglements.

“I’ll be in touch, okay?” he said, feeling rather lame.

“I’ll look forward to your missives, and you can rest assured that I’ll be writing to you, as well. Good luck with your conquest.”

Victor nodded, then, clutching the destination orb, he concentrated on his parlor at Iron Mountain, and the portal flared to life. He locked eyes with Kynna again, and they stared at each other for several weighty seconds, then he stepped through.

When he emerged, Arona stood from his couch, a book clutched in her hand. “That was quicker than I feared.”

Victor frowned at the dark sky outside the balcony doors. “What time is it?”

“A couple of hours after midnight.”

“I’m surprised you’re still here. Figured you’d go to your own quarters.”

She smiled sheepishly, holding up her book. “I was lost in my research. Your rooms were very quiet, too, and I’ll admit some jealousy over the view.” She nodded toward the open balcony and the starlit, looming shadow of Iron Mountain.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it? Sometimes I think I should go and pay the, um, mountain a visit. I’ll wait, though. I think I’d like to be a veil walker the next time I stand in those deep halls.” As Arona moved closer to the doors, staring at the mountain in question, he added, “Kynna was well. I think she learned a lot from you.”

She turned toward him. “I think so, too. She’s a very sweet soul. I’ve told you as much, but it bears repeating. She’s not a political creature.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll keep my eye on her, don’t worry. If things get bad here, I’ll help her out. I don’t care if I have to burn every bridge on this planet.”

Arona tilted her head, confused for a moment, then nodded. “You mean metaphorical bridges, right?”

He laughed. “Right.”

“Well, I’ll be there by your side.”

Victor nodded. “I figured.” He started putting down his portal array again. “Ready for a visit to Fanwath?”

“I’m ready, but you should look at your Farscribe books. One of your friends reached out to me, wondering if I knew where you were.”

“What? Which one?”

“The pushy little one with the glittering blue wings.”

Victor clicked his tongue, shaking his head. She knew Edeya’s name. He’d given her the Farscribe pages as a precaution—along with some from his books with his other friends—when he’d gone to Dark Ember. He sat down on the couch and reached into his spirit space, mentally groping for the book he shared with Edeya. When he had it in hand, he opened to the most recent entry and read what she’d written:

Victor,

I hope this reaches you before you visit Fanwath. Lam and I really want to come along. She wants to arrange for a lengthy absence with her governor. Also, Olivia heard us talking about it, and she wants to take advantage of your portal, too. If we’ve missed you, don’t worry; we can use the System stones if necessary, but we figured we’d try to get in touch with you first.

Love,

Dey-dey

Victor smiled, closing the book. “Looks like we’re stopping by Sojourn first.”

Arona nodded, but her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked away, avoiding eye contact.

“You’re worried about Vesavo?”

She sniffed and nodded. “It’s foolish, but…”

When she didn’t finish the thought, Victor shook his head. “Nah, it’s not foolish. He did a number on you, Arona. Anyway, you don’t have to worry. We’ll be at Dar’s house and only briefly. I’ll gather up my friends and we’ll head off to Fanwath. Besides, if that old, undead pendejo tries to mess with you, I’ll make sure it’s not worth his while.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’ve already killed two pinche veil walker Death Casters.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up his hand. “Yeah, I get it, he’s old and powerful—probably a lot stronger than the ones I killed, but I promise you, I’ll make such a scene that Dar and the other great masters of Sojourn will come to see what’s up, and then he’s gonna have his hands full.”

Arona threw her hands up, turning away from him. “You’re ridiculous.” When she looked back at him, she was smiling despite her words. “Still, you make a good point: if I’m there as your guest, and you’re still on record as Ranish Dar’s student, then Vesavo would be a fool to raise his hand against either of us.”

Victor grinned. “That’s the spirit.”

“Have you always been this way?”

“What way?”

“Ready to fight anyone and anything? How’d you survive this long?” A soft, raspy laugh followed her words, so Victor knew she wasn’t being wholly serious. Even so, it was an excellent question.

“I think I got lucky a few times at first. Then, you know, when I survived, I got tougher, and that helped me survive a few more encounters.” He shrugged. “And so on. I didn’t always win, though. You should ask Edeya about my time in the Greatbone Mine and before that. I was pretty messed up when I showed up there.” While he spoke, Victor concentrated on a mental image of the lake house’s back deck, and the portal crackled to life, making Arona’s pale flesh livid with its reflected light.

“Since we’ll be spending some time together, I’ll be sure to ask her for the tale. I struggle to imagine you in such a position.”

Victor picked up the portal stones, then nodded toward the magenta tear in reality. “I’ll go first.”

The book disappeared from Arona’s hand, and she nodded. “Right behind you.”

###

Thoargh had been to the World Hall of Sojourn a dozen times, traveling between the “hub world” and Zaafor before the mages he employed in Coloss finally managed to construct a private gateway. This visit was different, however. He was with Vessa-dak, traveling via a transport circle reserved for the influential members of the Sojourn elite. As a result, he didn’t have to visit the ticket counter. Instead, a concierge approached them as they emerged from the elevator onto the exclusive, upper level of the hall.

“Lady Vessa-dak,” the woman said, performing a delicate curtsey in her rather fetching black and white skirt. She looked at Thoargh and inclined her head. “Milord.”

“This is Lord Thoargh of Coloss, Essaba. His star is rising here on Sojourn, so I imagine you’ll see more of him.”

“Oh?” Pressured by Vessa’s words, the woman curtseyed again. “It’s a great pleasure, Lord Thoargh.” He waved his black-gloved hand, dismissing the attention. Essaba turned back to Vessa. “I received your itinerary yesterday and have prepared your travel tokens. I just need to clarify one small matter.”

“What’s that?” Vessa narrowed her dark brows, her golden irises glinting.

“Oh, it’s a small matter. Since your last visit, a new System stone has been added to the network on that world. I wanted to ensure you still wanted to journey to, um”—she looked at a translucent black crystal tablet in her hand—“Tharcray.”

Vessa’s scowl deepened. “There’s another option?”

“Yes, my lady.” Again, she studied her little crystal. “It’s labeled Free Marches. I don’t see—”

“Those fools!” Vessa snarled, and Thoargh felt his attraction to her escalate as she swelled with fury, baring sharp fangs as she snatched the crystal from the concierge’s hands.

Thoargh was intrigued, to say the least. “What is it, pet?”

She shoved the device back into Essaba’s grasping hands. “That gods-damned uprising! Remember, I told you they claimed some frontier lands? Apparently, they’ve acquired a System stone and opened it to travel.”

Thoargh had already been hopeful that Vessa’s extended family would condone his machinations against Victor’s people, but now that hope swelled massively. “You weren’t aware?” He turned to Essaba. “How long has that destination been an option?”

“Nearly three years—”

Vessa waved a hand. “Of course, I knew this. I just hadn’t thought about it. There’s no way they could have traveled out of Tharcray, so…Yes, it makes sense. I’m sure others in my family are aware and have plans to remedy this situation. Let’s not dwell on it.”

An instantaneous transformation washed over her. Her scowl smoothed out, her posture relaxed, and her wings fell flat. As she released a pent-up breath, she said, “Come, Thoargh, Tharcray awaits. You’ll love my family’s properties. The people are so quaint, and they practically worship my kin as living gods. It’s exactly what I need to forget about this insult.” She gestured toward Essaba and her crystal device.

“I meant no insult, Lady Vess—”

Vessa waved a hand dismissively. “I know, dear. The insult comes from those who dared to tarnish the pastoral simplicity of my homeworld.”

Thoargh could hardly contain himself as he took Vessa’s elbow and tugged. “Vessa, may I have a moment alone with you? There’s something I’d like to ask you—”

“What, Thoargh? Stop clinging.” She tugged her arm free.

“Excuse me,” Essaba said, backing away. “I’ll give you a few minutes alone.”

Thoargh scowled, dangerously close to breaking his carefully layered demeanor of adoring suitor. As the woman’s slippered footsteps padded away down a side passage, he turned to Vessa. “Allow me to do your family a service.”

Vessa’s golden eyes glinted dangerously as she leaned close, her wings spreading slightly, the midnight feathers swelling as she puffed herself up. “What sort of favor?”

“I’ll go to these so-called Free Marches, and I’ll punish the fools who stood against your family. They’re not under your protection, correct? They’ve no arrangements with the great masters of Sojourn like you’ve made for your family’s holdings on Fanwath.”

Vessa folded her arms, pursing her lips as she contemplated Thoargh’s words. “I don’t know what sort of arrangements they’ve made, but, as far as I know, you’re correct. Still, at the very least, they have that brutish bastard watching over them.”

“Victor?” Thoargh’s smile widened, exposing canines that rivaled Vessa’s for sharpness and length.

“Yes.”

“An iron ranker?” Thoargh couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice.

“Most likely. Still, he’s been off-world. I believe the excuse Ranish Dar’s people made to my cousin was something about waging a war for a distant relative.”

“Excuse?”

“For skipping his social gatherings! A thin one, at that—and it didn’t explain why none of our kin were invited to the parties he held at Dar’s lake house!”

Thoargh could hardly believe that this woman’s major grievance with Victor had to do with party invitations, but he wasn’t beneath trying to capitalize on the animosity. “So? Let me punish him and his people. Let me do it for you and your people on Fanwath. Did he not commit crimes against them?”

“Punish him?”

Thoargh nodded. “I’ll go and make it known that I’m looking for him. I’ll give him a reason to return, and when he does, I’ll kill him.”

She tilted her head, looking at him in a new light. “Why?”

Thoargh opened his mouth, but paused. It was a valid question. Victor had certainly embarrassed him, and he’d have gladly pulled his bones from his flesh one by one back then. Still, that was a long time ago. Was his escape worthy of the grudge Thoargh currently held? He supposed not—to most people. To Thoargh, though, hate was one of the few emotions he truly felt. He could understand lust, and sometimes he was amused. He had ambition, but hate—hate fueled him. He hated Victor, and he hated that witch of a dragon who’d befriended the boy.

He wanted to see Victor suffer, and, in the process, he hoped to bait that dragon into looking for vengeance. He’d be ready this time, however. He had everything prepared back in Coloss, and now that he was on the cusp of becoming a veil walker—

“Thoargh?”

He cleared his throat, refocusing on the present moment. “I want to do it because I want your family’s approval, Vessa, and because his actions upset you. I am the Warlord of Coloss, and I won’t allow such insults to stand, not against the woman I care for.”

Vessa’s eyes glinted with a new kind of fire. Delicately, she reached out to draw her sharp nails against the flesh of his forearm. “So, you’re just going to go there and make it known that you’re—What? Challenging him?”

Thoargh grinned. “That’s exactly right. I’ll make him a challenge he can’t ignore.”