“The fewer people the Fateless can affect, the better,” the queen went on, ignoring the flat gaze of the insect rider. “But I will not bid you search for the Loom of Maederyss with no aid at all. I will send one soul with you, one you have already touched.He is one of my best, and I know you can trust him. He will do whatever is required to see you to the end of your journey.”
Before she had finished speaking, I knew who she was talking about. Raithe didn’t move, even as the queen turned to him. His gaze remained as blank as ever as it met mine, and my heart twisted painfully in my chest.
“Where are we to find this loom piece?” Kysa asked. “I assume, as this temple has never been mentioned in the histories of any kingdom, that it is very well hidden.”
“It is, warrior of the Scarab Clan,” the queen replied, turning back to us. “Where the loom fell, we Deathless turned the land around it into the most inhospitable place that we could. A place where nothing could survive. From deep beneath the earth, we pulled up pools of magma and spread it across the landscape, turning the surface into a living hell.”
“The World Scar,” Halek murmured, causing me to stare at him. He grimaced. “It’s a stretch of land on the other side of the Shifting Dunes, and one of the few places I have not explored. There are countless stories surrounding it, none of them good.” He scratched the back of his head with a grimace. “Nothing lives out there—I guess it’s kind of hard to live on a surface of molten fire and lava. Even the air is said to be poisonous to breathe.”
“As I said...” The Deathless queen nodded. “We made the surrounding area as dangerous and inhospitable as we could. And we set the temple in the center of the molten pools, beyond the reach of mortal men, and commanded it to fade from history.”
“And we’re supposed to find it,” Kysa said. “Somehow.”
“If you wish to stop the Deathless King and save your world, yes.”
I sucked in a ragged breath. Another impossible mission. Another quest where we were likely all going to die. But I had been through them before, and I was still here. “So, when do we leave?” I asked, and my voice sounded unfamiliar in my own head. “I’m guessing we don’t have a lot of time.”
“I will have my kahjai ready to escort you from the city tomorrow,” the queen told us. “Until then, please relax, breathe, enjoy this time of calm in Irrikah. I fear we won’t have much of it left.” She raised a hand, indicating the door through which we’d come in. “Chancellor Llorek will show you back to your rooms.
“Fateless,” she added as the chancellor appeared, as if by magic, behind us. “If you would, I must speak with you alone.”
Halek and Kysa left the throne room, the latter giving me a look of wary reluctance before slipping through the arched doors, which closed behind her without a sound.
When I turned to face the dais again, Raithe was no longer there. Only the queen remained, sitting on her throne with her long legs crossed, regarding me with eyes like the Void. One elegant hand rose, graceful fingers beckoning to me. I swallowed my nervousness and stepped forward.
“I heard you and my kahjai became rather close during your journey here,” the queen said.
My heart pounded. I wondered if I had gotten him in trouble, if the queen had seen fit to punish the kahjai, after all. “Raithe saved my life several times,” I told her. “He protected me fromabominations and assassins and ma’jhet blood magic. I’m grateful for what he did.”
“Very careful answers,” the queen said, making my stomach squirm. “But you needn’t lie to protect him, Fateless. My people and I are connected in ways that are incomprehensible to outsiders. I saw the truth in his eyes when I asked him the same. He cares for you, which is why I have agreed to send him along. Because he will stop at nothing to protect you, even at the cost of his own existence. He understands how important it is that the Fateless survive.”
My throat tightened. I remembered when Vahn, using blood magic, had possessed me and taken control of my body. He had threatened to kill me, to slit my throat in front of my friends, unless Raithe took his own life. He had even tossed him my dagger to finish the impossible request. And... there had been no hesitation in the eyes of the iylvahn. Remembering still made my stomach turn. If I hadn’t managed to regain control of myself and fight back, Raithe would have driven that dagger into his own heart to keep me safe.
Raithe would have done anything to bring me here, safe and alive. But was that single-minded devotion to me or to his queen? Either way, the answer terrified me.
“However,” the queen went on, gazing at me intently. “I did want to extend this warning, Fateless. The order that the kahjai belong to has a code—a set of rules that they all adhere to. They are, after all, a guild of assassins, and their life’s work is a necessary but grim occupation. As such, the kahjai are forbidden toform romantic attachments of any kind. They are forbidden to marry or seek a life mate.
“You see, Fateless, for the iylvahn, love is different. The word in our language issylannanorei, and it means ‘when two threads become one.’ Unlike the troblin, who have many mates in their lifetimes, and humans, who can flit from one night of passion to the next, once an iylvahn chooses their partner, they bond for life. Their threads entwine so closely, they become almost a single strand. That is not to say they are one creature—when one partner’s thread is cut, the other lives on. However, many iylvahn find this is so painful, they decide they would rather have a chance to meet them in the next life than continue with the present one. The saying ‘meet you beyond the desert’ comes from an iylvahn walking into the wilderness alone to join their deceased life mate, with no intention of coming out again.
“So, choosing a mateis a very serious thing for my people,” the Deathless queen went on, as I listened in numb amazement. “The bonds of Fate are fragile. The kahjai are bringers of death, and they must never forget that. If, one day, they are called upon to sever the thread of someone they know, someone they care for, they still must carry out their duty without question. So you can see why their order forbids them to become attached.
“I understand that you relied on each other to reach Irrikah safely,” the queen continued, as my heart twisted ever more painfully inside my chest. “I know that this particular kahjai is strong, and brave, and utterly dedicated to his duty.” The queenraised a hand toward me, her expression both sympathetic and cautionary. “However, do not mistake duty for compassion. He knows love is forbidden among his order. He knows the mission must come before everything else. Rely on him to keep you safe, for he will do everything in his power to protect you. But do not trust any kahjai with your heart.”
It felt like a dagger had been driven into my chest, piercing the fragile organ within. My throat squeezed tight, and I swallowed hard to open it. Here, then, was the undeniable truth. Raithe knew his order forbade attachments.
Drawing in a furtive breath to be sure my voice didn’t tremble when I answered, I faced the queen and nodded. “I understand,” I told her. “And don’t worry—I don’t think either of us is going down that path.”
“Good,” said the queen. “Because there is one more thing you need to know.
“I saw his future,” the queen continued, and my stomach squeezed itself into a tight little ball. “Just a glimpse, but it was enough to know his fate. The kahjai known as Raithe is going to die, Fateless. I do not know where, or how, but I do know that it will be soon.”
I suddenly couldn’t breathe.
“Then, he... he shouldn’t come with us,” I whispered. The words felt ripped out of me. The thought of never seeing Raithe again tore something inside and left me feeling hollow. But if he died trying to protect me... I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. There had already been too many close calls, too many instances where the kahjai had been willing to trade his life formine. If separating myself from Raithe meant saving his life, that was a price I would gladly pay.
“He should stay here,” I declared. “In Irrikah. He’ll be safe, then. If he comes with us, he’s sure to be killed.”
The queen regarded me calmly. “Perhaps,” she said, nodding. “But think on your decision carefully, Fateless. No soul can escape their destiny. As I said before, I do not know the circumstances of his death. I know only that it will be soon. Whether it is to happen in Irrikah or while he is with you, who can say?
