“Don’t worry about it.” Tanez gave me a soft, reassuring smile. “I am just glad to see you now.”
“I hope I am not disturbing you,” I commented, motioning at her formal outfit.
The Aurea of Earth waved a tan hand in obvious annoyance. “My morning was filled with yet another endless meeting of the King’s Council. Sha’am has a talent for infuriating even the most patient soul. I swear, today even Khiraz was ready to throttle him.” She shook her head, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusement. “It’s beyond me how my sister has tolerated that man for millennia.”
“What agitated the Warrior so much?” I asked, not bothering to keep the derogatory tone out of my voice. One would think the Aurea of Fire would be ecstatic, with both me and Noctis gone from the Council forever.
Tanez’s expression grew somber. “Sha’am wants to mount another campaign to the southern realms. It wounds his pride that the Drakuul remain refugees, their fortresses reduced to ruins overrun by the Fallen One’s creatures. Noctis’s former warlord Galator has claimed Tiamat, their once magnificent capital, as the throne of his dark realm, securing the border by tearing through the Veil to the Other and letting Chaos rage freely.”
“So Galator has tried to cross the border?” I asked, my heart pounding. Her words confirmed what Tristan had told me a few tendays ago. “I heard rumors in the village.”
“There have been attacks. Mostly aimed at the Elves of Laurelin Forest and the Djein enclave at the edge of the Endless Wastes. This feels more serious than Galator’s usual needle pricks.” Tanez’s tone was grim. “Rumors are spreading like wildfire. The latest one setting Lyrheim’s streets ablaze claims the Chiasma are back to their wicked ways, searching for the Chaoscrown. They probably plan to use it to resurrect—”
My friend abruptly cut herself off, her eyes widening as she realized the implications.
“To resurrect their dead god,” I finished, my tone and expression carefully controlled. I knew this wasn’t true, since I had witnessed firsthand that Noctis’s former servants wanted to kill him. Still, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that he was involved in the threats to Aron-Lyr’s peace somehow. Tanezmentioning the Chaoscrown, the powerful artifact Noctis had forged millennia ago to control the power of the Abyss, only deepened my fears. The Crown had been lost since the end of the war, but perhaps Noctis or his former servants knew where it was hidden.
Had I made a terrible mistake by saving him? Again? I couldn’t bear the thought of being called out on it, not yet. If he continued to pose a threat, it was my duty to deal with him. Mine alone.
I needed to find out more. Without alerting the Aurea of Earth to the fact that the Fallen One was residing in my bedroom.
“I am surprised Aramaz didn’t side with Sha’am,” I said, shifting the topic away from Noctis. “I agree with the Warrior—confronting Galator now, before he becomes a greater threat, would be wise.”
So far, none of Noctis’s former allies had united, their rivalries too fierce. If they ever joined forces, it would spell disaster for the realms loyal to the powers of Order.
Tanez inhaled deeply, hesitating with pursed lips as she considered her response. “Aramaz is struggling, Baradaz. He has been struggling since the day you left.” The words, though spoken softly, still made me flinch and avoid my friend’s intense gaze.
Then perhaps Aramaz should not have torn out my heart.I did not say it, biting my lip to control my anger, but it cost me.
“No one needs a goddess without her powers. I thought that Khiraz had taken over the queen’s duties,” I remarked, struggling to keep my voice devoid of any icy undertones. “She must be delighted to help the king so much.”
“Khiraz’s compassion has indeed healed some of the rifts caused by the war,” the Aurea of Earth responded, her reproving look indicating my sarcasm was unbecoming. Well, I had always been a failure at playing the gracious, selfless queen. Tanez sighed, leaning closer to whatever surface she had chosen to sustain our connection on herside. “But it is not enough. People are desperate for peace and furious with their gods.”
“Even more reason for Aramaz to liberate the south, as Sha’am desires. Surely a decisive victory would calm the situation and reinstall people’s faith in the rule of the Ten once more.” I wondered what exactly held my husband back.
Tanez scrutinized me for a long moment before answering in a low, halting voice, unlike her usual self-assured tone. It sent a renewed surge of unease through me. “Aramaz does not rally the armies because he does not dare.”
“What?”
“You seem happy, my friend, wherever you are.” Tanez’s lips curved into a melancholic smile. “Part of me is loath to destroy your peace.”
“Tell me,” I answered firmly.
Tanez briefly closed her eyes. “Belekoroz’s death hasn’t diminished the influence of Chaos in Aron-Lyr. Instead, the eruptions of Chaos magic have increased in both frequency and power. As if whatever restraining influence he had on it is completely gone.” The Aurea of Earth smoothed down her skirt. “The reports reaching the Council are alarming, and I suspect Aramaz isn’t sharing everything. Rivers turn to acid, destroying all life they touch, mountains of fire emerge without warning, and storms obliterate entire villages. Fearsome creatures roam the lands and people develop uncontrollable magical powers. Whatever the Fallen One has broken in his madness, I’m not sure it can be healed.”
I stared at her, battling the all-too-familiar guilt and shame rising inside me. Some of those stories had reached even Dalath, but I had ignored them as best I could. Tanez might not be the only one hesitant to burst my fragile bubble of… if not happiness, then at least contentment.
“And the Allfather?” I asked tonelessly.
Tanez’s expression hardened. “Nothing.”
Not surprising. Our Maker hadn’t interfered for millennia, holding on to his decree that Aron-Lyr’s fate was our sole responsibility. If he had ignored our cries for help when the entire world was sundered, why aid us now?
“I feel it every time I reach for the power of Earth. Chaos. Poisoning the very essence of everything around us.” Tanez’s eyes were haunted. “The king has banned all of us, Aurea and Anima alike, from using any magic if it is not absolutely necessary, as it has become so unpredictable.”
It is the only way he knows how to deal with what he fears. Caging it. Until it has become only a shadow of itself, until it has become harmless, until it dies.
Words that had haunted me for years, that had lured me into the shadows.
