Aneirin

“She doesn’t want to speak with you now. Come back later, Ganlin.”

The tall, blond Vethyle boy grinned back at Nirin in obvious pleasure. He hadn’t even knocked on Laelia’s door.

“Move.” Nirin shoved the boy aside and stepped to the door. After examining the feel of veoh around it, he took a deep breath.

“What are you—”

Nirin jammed his veoh into the lock, twisted it open, and stepped inside the Auldin’s council chambers, swatting aside the nasty spells that immediately swooped down on him for his intrusion. Softly, he shut the door behind him.

Upon seeing his green auldling’s robe, Laelia frowned. “Do you always force your way into an Auldin’s chambers when you want something?”

“I’ve done it before,” Nirin said. He nodded to the man seated in the sunny window-seat across from the Auldin. The man watched him, his steely chocolate gaze betraying nothing. He did not nod back.

On some deeper level, Nirin recognized that the man was a threat, but he couldn’t turn back now. He had dealings with the Auldin.

“I need to speak with you,” Nirin said.

“What you need to do,” Laelia said, languidly unfolding her lean body and standing, “Is tell me why I shouldn’t call the Unmade on you for defiling the private chambers of a Circle member.”

“Call them,” Nirin said, narrowing his eyes. “They wouldn’t get here fast enough.”

The Auldin’s visitor sat up straighter in his chair, giving Nirin an appraising glance. He wore all black, in a style that Nirin recognized as vaguely military.

“Did you just threaten me?” Laelia whispered, turning white with rage.

“I have business with the Auldin,” Nirin said to Laelia’s visitor. “You might want to come back later.”

The man set down his drink and stood. On the way out, he said, “What’s your name, boy?”

“Aneirin Ganlin,” he said, still watching the Auldin.

The man nodded and left.

Once he was gone, Nirin wrapped the door in veoh to keep him out. Laelia watched, but did not attempt to interfere. When he was finished, he gave her the most vicious smile he could summon in an attempt to hide his own fear.

Softly, Laelia said, “If you had any idea who that was, you would be pissing your own pants right now, boy.”

“Maybe,” Nirin said, with more bravado than he felt. “Tell me about the Rockfarmer.”

Where surprise should have registered on Laelia’s face, instead there was only smugness. “I’ve seen a lot of Rockfarmers in my life.”

Nirin narrowed his eyes and took a step toward her. Though Vethyles were tall by nature, he still towered over her. “Maybe you aren’t understanding this. I’m looking for my friend. I will put a geas on you if I have to.”

Laelia laughed. “And if you do, the Circle truly will have your head. Once can be forgiven. Twice is a pattern.”

“And if that geas found out you had killed an auldling of the Spyre?” Nirin demanded, taking a chance.

The way Laelia’s face froze was enough for him. Nirin felt a clawing at his gut, a sudden need to run outside and feel the sun on his face. It was all he could do not to reach for the woman’s throat.

“Where is she?” he whispered, rage and anguish twining within him.

Laelia’s face twisted back into motion. She laughed. “My, you’re a tricky one. I just remembered—you don’t even know how to do a real geas. You’d need me to mime your words back to you.” She laughed. “Good luck with that.”

“You’ll tell me where to find my friend,” Nirin said, taking another step towards her. He was so terrified of what he was doing that his knees shook. “Or I’ll make you speak the words.”

The Auldin’s visage tensed for a split second before she lashed out. Nirin was ready. He caught the spell in a web of his own veoh and dismantled it, throwing the Function aside and weaving the energy into his own as he twisted another spell around her, plugging her veoh inside her with the greater force of his own. In moments, Auldin Laelia was pressed up against the wall, able to move nothing but her head.

Her icy eyes were dark with malice.

“Repeat after me,” Nirin said. “‘I speak the truth to Aneirin Ganlin whenever he asks it of me.’”

Softly, the Auldin began to laugh. “You are dead.”

Nirin tightened the veoh holding her until she gasped. “I will speak the truth to Aneirin Ganlin whenever he asks it of me.”

She cursed him. “Yes, I know where your damn friend is.”

Nirin narrowed his eyes, his pity for her dissolving. “Say it.”

“She suffered a fall. Release me and I’ll tell you where.” From the way her eyes flickered in the light, he knew the first thing she would do if he released her was collect the Unmade to behead him.

Nirin, trembling with fear and rage, leaned closer. “I’ve got nothing left to lose. Say it.”

A different look crossed her face, one that seemed to drain her color. Softly, she repeated his words.

“I will answer every question he asks.”

The Auldin’s voice no more than a hoarse whisper, she repeated.

“I will answer immediately, and without hesitation.”

Laelia said nothing for a long time. She watched him, her eyes shifting with thought as she held his stare. Finally, when Nirin was going to warn her, she spoke the words. She finished them with, “I’m going to make sure you die begging and terrified, Ganlin.”

Nirin released her and stepped back. Looking into her eyes, he thought, I’m already terrified. Taking a deep breath, ignoring the malevolence in her gaze, he said, “Did you kill the Rockfarmer?”

“I killed two of them.” Hatred peered back at him, immobile.

Nirin cocked his head at this. “Were either of them my friend?”

“No.”

His heart began to thunder. “What happened to my friend?”

“I gave instructions to have her killed.”

Nirin felt as if his fear suddenly drained out his feet, replaced with rage. “Is she dead?”

“Probably more alive than you’re going to be tomorrow evening.” Laelia gave an odd little laugh at that and smiled at him. It chilled him to the core.

“Where is she?” Nirin whispered.

“Brael’s grave, wrapped in dragonsilk,” Laelia said. When his blood went cold, she smiled. “I thought it fitting.”

A knock on the door made him flinch. “Auldin Laelia? It’s Guto of the Unmade. Your page told us you might have a problem.”

“Nirin and I were just chatting,” Laelia said, smiling at Nirin. “He’s about to leave.” Then, more softly, “Anything else, Ganlin? Any other dark little secrets you wish to unearth before I kill you?”

Nirin suddenly frowned, remembering what Maelys had told her about her mission for Agathe. He peered into Laelia’s eyes and she froze, reading his intentions.

The Unmade pounded against the frame again. “We were told an auldling broke open your door,” Guto insisted. “Auldin, we’re going to have to come in and make sure you’re all right.”

“Stay outside,” the Auldin said. It was barely a whisper, and her eyes were fixed on Nirin, fear brightening them. To Nirin, she said, “Leave. Now. Or the Circle will hear of what you’ve done.”

“Auldin, open the door or—”

“Stay outside!” Laelia screamed.

Softly, watching her, Nirin said, “Are you planning to kill a Ganlin?”

“Yes.” Her eyes got round and she started thrashing, trying to free herself.

Nirin’s heart began to pound as he watched her struggle. “Which one?”

“Al—” The rest of her sentence was cut off as the Unmade burst through the door. Laelia began to shriek, thrashing like a mad thing. Seeing Laelia struggling against the wall, the Unmade rushed at Nirin. Their big bodies hit him with all the force of charging bulls, pushing him aside, away from the Auldin.

As big as Nirin was, the Unmade were bigger. With ease, they threw him to the ground and held him there, their very touch banishing Nirin’s spells. On the wall, Laelia slumped forward, free. Panicking, Nirin tried to prepare spells to protect himself, and in retaliation the Unmade wrenched his hands behind his back, taloned fingers mercilessly digging into his skin.

As they were hauling him to his feet to take him away, Laelia calmly said, “Let him go. We were only having a civil chat.”

Her face was still red from her screams, but otherwise she seemed as collected as the moment Nirin had walked into her room.

The Unmade looked up at her and hesitated in releasing Nirin. Guto was a big bearish creature, with small, deep-set eyes and fur. “If it was civil, why did you scream?”

“Because,” Laelia said, calmly walking to the door, “My private chambers were being assaulted by uncouth beasts. Get out.”

The Unmade’s enormous brows wrinkled and it hesitated a few more heartbeats, then reluctantly released Nirin’s wrists from its rock-hard grasp. Catching the creature’s eye, Nirin realized Guto was the same Unmade that had escorted him to prison after the Auldheim had discovered Nirin had put a geas on Maelys. Guto had also been one of the most outspoken towards Nirin’s extermination, even more so than the Vethyles.

Deep-rooted suspicion stared back at him from under an oxen’s heavy brow, and Nirin knew that Guto knew.

But, reluctantly, the Unmade left.

Laelia shut the door on it and smiled at Nirin. “Go get your friend. She was still alive enough to scream the last time I went to visit her, but won’t be much longer. The insects have probably found their way in by now.” She seemed pleased by the idea.

“I’m telling the Auldheim,” Nirin said, shaking.

Laelia’s smile could have frozen the sun. “Then the Circle will learn of what really took place here today.” She threw open the door, revealing her startled Vethyle assistant on the other side. “Now get out.”

Nirin started to walk past, then stopped. “If my friend is dead, I’ll—”

She sneered at the warning in his tone. “You’ll what, auldling? Avenge her? Turn me in? Doom yourself?”

“Yes.” Nirin straightened and walked out the door.

Behind him, Laelia laughed. “Too late, auldling.”