As Teheda wiped his sword clean, Jacen started to say, “About Elyas?—”
“Are you asking my forgiveness?” The militiaman cut him off. Without waiting for an answer, he went on. “For what you did, I have prayed that you would never feel a moment’s peace.It seems you haven’t. And now, because of that . . . you’re here, aren’t you?” He sheathed his weapon. “You won’t have my forgiveness. But you have my sword.”
Jacen could not muster a response. With a shrug, Teheda stood. “We’ve got a mission to finish,” he said. “Maybe later, we’ll talk.”
It was more than Jacen deserved. He inclined his head. “Later, then.”
He reached out to Nines. He found her in an instant, as if she’d been searching for him too.
Door’s unlocked,she said.All clear.
Jacen pushed through the door with a loud creak,into a stuffy, windowless room. It contained two large crates, a rack of cylindrical containers meant for demons, and . . . the skull of the dead god. The first one, which Jacen now understood must have belonged to Zephon, Lord of Sorrow.
Seth stood beside it, still wearing that horrible blank expression. His injuries had to be bothering him; it was a miracle he’d remained on his feet. Nines seemed to feel the same. She tugged on his arms as though trying to make him sit. She stopped when Jacen entered, Neri and Teheda behind him.
“This is all cargo for the transport. The soldiers made him wait in here, too. I think it’s because ofher.” Nines’ eyes flicked toward Seth. She lowered her voice, as though somehow Turil might overhear. “She scares them.”
“How many soldiers on this level?” Teheda asked.
“Six,” Nines said. “There’s one more level above us, but it’s just an empty room with a stair that goes up to the roof, between the spires. Something landed there a while ago—not our transport. Only one passenger, who went downstairs. One level down, there are fourteen. Then eight. Twenty. Seven. Five levels down, it gets too crowded to count. They’re on alert because of Otavok, but they haven’t figured out we’re here yet.” She paused.“The one in the communications center is getting suspicious of Urien. Once the others get back from Zivora, we’ll have to hurry.”
“How long until the transport arrives?” Jacen asked. “About an hour, Urien thinks. Maybe a little more.”
“Go to him,” Jacen told her. “Make sure Teheda gets inside without being seen.” To the militiaman, he said, “Both of you, guard Urien’s back. Get rid of anyone watching him. I’ll take over with Seth.”
Teheda nodded shortly. With immense relief, Nines disengaged from Seth’s mind. Jacen slipped into the gap she’d left. In the sedative haze, he found no sign of Turil.
As Nines and Teheda departed, Neri lingered. He approached Seth with caution. A fly had landed on his face. Seth did nothing, even as it crawled across the lashes of his glassy left eye, and Neri couldn’t stand it a second longer. He reached up to wave the fly away.
Then someone spoke.
“I really thought you were smarter than this.”
Vanishingly few telepaths could have hidden from Jacen until they were mere feet apart. Jacen had been on his guard, too, searching since he reached the end of the trail. He had found nothing.
Vanishingly fewtelepaths would have been capable of such a deception—perhaps only one living. Jacen had last heard this voice as he lay at the bottom of a cell, withdrawal eating away at his body while her psychic assault devoured his mind.
Mother Akkani entered the storeroom. She looked just as she would on any other day, her black hair in a tight bun, her robes and white sash pristine. She pressed her lips together, disappointment plain on her face.
Neri backed against a crate, watching Akkani with apprehension. His eyes flicked toward Jacen as though he might provide some sort of guidance.
He’d known this was a possibility. He’d said as much to Ogden—it was a risk they had to take. But Jacen had prayed with everything in him, especially since they lost Hesaya, that he would avoid this confrontation. He had even begun to believe he might.
They had anhouruntil the transport arrived. If only Akkani had been delayed just a little longer . . .
Nines.Jacen reached out, even as his heart sank.Akkani’s here.
Protect the communications center. Barricade yourselves inside.
Nines’ panic flooded his mind. He failed to stop himself from wincing.
Akkani studied him. “Who are you speaking to? How many did you bring?” Without waiting for a reply, she addressed Neri. “The fact that you’re here of your own volition tells me you have some inkling of what’s happening. You understand, on some level, that the best thing you can do for your people is to turn yourself in. Because nothing this man”—she pointed at Jacen—“or your father or anyone else can do will make a difference.” She added, more gently, “I do not blame you for this, and I’m sorry you’ve gotten involved.”
“You know the whole truth,” Jacen said, incredulous, “and you’d still just hand him over. No fight at all. Not even a whisper of resistance on behalf of your own people.”
“I hoped you’d sober up when I left you in that cell,” said Akkani. “Not trade one self-destructive hobby for another. What are youdoing,Jacen?”
“What I should have done years ago,” he said. “What Elyas did.” Akkani sighed. “I thought you might be ready for the truth one day.
